The Licensing Regulatory Committee met to consider the application for the renewal of the Sexual Entertainment Venue (SEV) licence for The Nags Head, located at 17-19 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1DU. The committee heard from the applicant, objectors, and considered reports from council officers, before adjourning to make a decision. The decision was deferred and will be made at a later date.

Application for renewal of SEV Licence for The Nags Head

The committee considered an application made by NH License Ltd for the renewal of the Sexual Entertainment Venue licence for The Nags Head, 17-19 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1DU. The licence would permit the premises to continue operating as a SEV, with opening hours from 11:00 to 03:00, Monday to Saturday, and 12:00 to 22:30 on Sundays.

The report before the committee noted that the premises has held an SEV licence since 1996, and also has a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003, authorising the sale of alcohol and regulated entertainment[^2]. The application was subject to consultation, with 299 objections received from members of the public, and two supporting representations from customers.

Objections

According to the report, 30 of the objections were valid, 83 were invalid due to missing information, and 186 were based solely on moral grounds, which are not matters for consideration by the committee. The valid objections raised concerns about:

• The proximity of the venue to residential accommodation, schools, religious centres and other sensitive locations.
• The potential for anti-social behaviour and crime.
• The impact on the character of the local area.

Several residents submitted objections to the application. Many objectors referenced the close proximity of the East London Mosque, Brick Lane Mosque, and Darul Ummah Centre, as well as schools and residential dwellings, arguing that the presence of a sexual entertainment venue was inappropriate for the area. Objectors also stated that the venue did not align with community values and could undermine the council's commitment to equality.

One objection stated:

Tower Hamlets is a proudly diverse and family-oriented borough. Many of us value the sense of community, cultural respect, and the environment we are striving to create for future generations. Establishments of this nature, in my view, do not align with these values.

Some objectors raised concerns about the potential for crime, anti-social behaviour, and the exploitation of women.

Supporting representations

The application received two supporting representations from customers, who described the venue as safe and well-managed.

Applicant statement

In a witness statement provided on behalf of the applicant, Manpal Singh Clair, Director of NH License Limited, stated that the Nags Head had been operating as a sexual entertainment venue since the 1970s and had been licensed under the council's SEV regime since its adoption. He said that the premises had operated without issues, aside from an incident in 2022, which led to a previous licence refusal and revocation, but that those decisions were later overturned.

Mr Clair also stated that the responsible authorities had not raised any objections to the current renewal application, and that the premises was subject to periodic covert visits by an independent consultancy company. He said that the reports from those visits had demonstrated repeated compliance with the conditions of the SEV licence.

Mr Clair also stated that the locality had not changed, and that it was not possible to identify the Nags Head as an SEV premises when walking past.

Independent Expert Report

An independent expert report was submitted by Andrew Bamber, a Crime and Disorder Consultant, who conducted two site visits to Whitechapel Road to assess the daytime and night-time environment. Mr Bamber concluded that the Nags Head had been providing regulated entertainment for over 40 years without community concerns, and that the venue managed the conditions on its licence relating to the external environment. He also stated that members of the public paid no attention to the existence of the building, and that its appearance gave the impression that it was closed, especially after dark.

Mr Bamber concluded:

Throughout my observations it was obvious that the existence of the Nags Head is not a community problem.

Council Policy

The report noted that the council has a policy to limit the number of sexual entertainment venues in the borough to nil, but recognises that there are a number of businesses that have been providing sexual entertainment in Tower Hamlets for several years. The council will not apply this limitation when considering applications for premises that were already trading with express permission for the type of entertainment which is now defined as sexual entertainment, if they can demonstrate high standards of management, a management structure and capacity to operate the venue, and the ability to adhere to the standard conditions for sex establishments.

Legal Considerations

The report outlined the mandatory and discretionary grounds for refusal of a licence, as set out in Schedule 3 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982. It also advised the committee to take into account comments within the objections or made orally at the hearing which are relevant to the mandatory or discretionary grounds for refusal.

Decision

Following consideration of the application, objections, and reports, Councillor Peter Golds, Chair of Licensing Committee, announced that the committee would defer its decision to a later date.