The Licensing Sub Committee Hearing Panel met to consider two applications for premises licences in Manchester. One application was for a new premises licence, and the other was for a variation of an existing licence. Councillor Julie Connolly, Chair of Licensing and Appeals Committee, Councillor Lee Glover, and Councillor Fiaz Riasat were scheduled to be in attendance.

Culture Box, 1 Broxton Street, Manchester, M40 7BN

The panel was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for Culture Box, 1 Broxton Street, Manchester, M40 7BN. Nina Maensah was named as the applicant and proposed designated premises supervisor for the café/takeaway.

The application requested:

• Late night refreshment, both on and off the premises, from 11pm to 1am, Monday to Sunday
• Sale of alcohol, both on and off the premises, from 12pm to 1am, Monday to Sunday
• Opening hours from 8am to 1am, Monday to Sunday

The report pack notes that in response to objections, the applicant proposed a reduced operating schedule, with the sale of alcohol ending at 11pm and the premises closing at 11.30pm. It was also noted that the applicant stated that a covered area was no longer to be included in the submitted plan, and a new licence plan would be submitted.

The application received objections from Greater Manchester Police, the MCC Licensing and Out of Hours Compliance Team, and two ward councillors.

Greater Manchester Police objected to the application, stating that the applicant had not explained how they would manage queues, refusals, or disorder until 1am, and had not mentioned the use of security staff or a risk assessment. They noted that the premises is a short walk from both the Co-Op Live arena and Etihad Stadium, and that the applicant had not referenced these venues or the crowds they attract.

The Licensing and Out of Hours Compliance Team stated that granting a premises licence in this residential area would undermine the public nuisance licensing objective due to noise disturbance. They also raised concerns about the outside area and the lack of detail on how it would be managed to mitigate noise disturbance.

Two ward councillors objected to the application on the grounds that it would cause increased parking problems and be a source of noise and disamenity for residents, including those in sheltered elderly housing on Sandle Street. One of the councillors also stated that there was a high likelihood that large crowds attending events at the Co-Op Live and the Etihad Stadium would try to enter the premises and purchase alcohol, causing anti-social behaviour.

The applicant responded to the objections, proposing reduced operating hours and additional conditions, including operating a Challenge 25 policy¹ and training staff in the prevention of underage sales.

Sim Convenience Store, 74 Stockport Road, Manchester, M12 6AL

The panel was also scheduled to consider an application for a variation of the premises licence for Sim Convenience Store, 74 Stockport Road, Manchester, M12 6AL.

The application requested:

• Amendment to the sale of alcohol hours from the current hours of 8am to 3am to 24 hours (for consumption off the premises, no change)
• Amendment to the opening hours from the current opening hours of 7.30am-3am to 24 hours

The report pack notes that Greater Manchester Police, the MCC Licensing and Out of Hours Compliance Team, and Public Health Manchester had submitted objections to the application.

Greater Manchester Police objected to the application on the grounds that the premises was likely to attract customers making their way home from the city centre, who were likely to already be intoxicated and seeking to buy more alcohol. They stated that this would provide a much greater security challenge for the applicant, and that these customers were likely to cause noise or nuisance to residents. They added that they did not believe that this was a suitable location for a premises that may become a focus for customers leaving the night-time economy, and that delivery drivers attending the premises during the proposed extended hours were also likely to cause a noise nuisance.

The Licensing and Out of Hours Compliance Team stated that granting the application would have a significant detrimental effect on residents in close proximity to the premises, and that the application did not provide sufficient evidence or further conditions to justify how the extended hours would uphold the licensing objectives or mitigate the risks associated with continuous alcohol availability.

Public Health Manchester stated that the application did not promote the licensing objectives and was likely to contribute to alcohol-related harm and negatively impact the wellbeing of residents and vulnerable populations in the vicinity. They noted that the ward of Ardwick is in the top 20% of wards for people accessing alcohol treatment services, and that approving the licence in its current form was likely to exacerbate those harms.

The applicant's agent responded to the objections, stating that they were unable to see how the extra five hours requested would have any impact, as the premise was already part of the late night economy. They added that the premise had operated nineteen hours a day for the last twelve months without any incident relating to crime and disorder or public nuisance, and that there was a 24-hour McDonalds 150 metres from the premise which attracts more early morning traffic than this store will.