The Kensington and Chelsea Licensing Sub-Committee met to consider an objection to a temporary event notice (TEN) for Flat A, 39-41 Oxford Gardens, London, W10 5UF. The notice had been given by Mr John Mills to hold a temporary licensable event at the flat during Notting Hill Carnival 2025. Objections to the notice were received from the Metropolitan Police and the council's Noise and Nuisance Team.

Objection to Temporary Event Notice

The sub-committee was scheduled to consider an objection to a temporary event notice submitted by Mr John Mills for Flat A, 39-41 Oxford Gardens. Mr Mills sought permission to sell alcohol off the premises between midday and 7pm on Sunday 24 August and Monday 25 August 2025, during Notting Hill Carnival. The maximum number of people allowed at the premises at any one time was proposed as four.

PC Jinelle Caldinez, on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, objected to the TEN on the grounds of prevention of crime and disorder and public safety. PC Caldinez stated that the flat is located between Portobello Road, Ladbroke Grove and multiple sound systems, in one of the busiest areas of the Notting Hill Carnival footprint.

PC Caldinez explains that Flat A, 39–41 Oxford Gardens is located between Portobello Road, Ladbroke Grove and multiple sound systems, in one of the busiest areas of the Notting Hill Carnival footprint. The site sits directly within the High Grade sound system area, already heavily congested with street traders and attendees. Allowing alcohol sales here is likely to attract crowds, create pinch points, and block pedestrian routes, increasing the risk of disorder, crushing, and obstruction of emergency access.

PC Caldinez also noted that the event management plan and risk assessment provided were basic and lacked detail on queue management, stewarding, and how licensing objectives would be met. She also highlighted that selling alcohol into the public highway requires a street trading licence¹, which the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) does not grant for alcohol during carnival.

Mr Philip Richardson, a Principal Environmental Health Officer for RBKC Environmental Health Noise and Nuisance, also objected to the TEN on the grounds of public safety. Mr Richardson stated that the location is directly adjacent to the High Grade sound system, in an area known for severe congestion during carnival, and that the TEN would likely worsen this by attracting and holding people in the area, disrupting crowd movement. Mr Richardson also raised concerns regarding the absence of a detailed plan showing where the licensable activity would take place, and no evidence of a street trading licence allowing alcohol sales into the public highway.

The sub-committee was asked to consider the objection notices and take steps to promote the licensing objectives². The options available to the sub-committee were to:

• issue a counter notice³ if it considers it necessary for the promotion of any of the licensing objectives to do so
• take no action, and allow the notice to have effect
• if the premises has the benefit of a premises licence or club premises certificate impose one or more conditions which are specified on the premises licence or club premises certificate which the committee considers are not inconsistent with the carrying out of the licensable activities under the temporary event notice.

The report pack included extracts from the council's statement of licensing policy, a map of the area, a list of licensed premises within the vicinity, a map of the 2024 Carnival footprint, and a list of temporary event notices received so far for this year's Carnival.