The Havering Council Licensing Sub-Committee met to discuss an application from Bailey's Bar Limited, trading as Brewdog Upminster, for a variation to their premises licence. The committee decided to adjourn the meeting to allow for further investigation into noise levels and discrepancies in the application. As part of the adjournment, the committee requested that the environmental health noise team obtain an ambient noise reading for the area, and that the applicant and the environmental health noise team attempt to reach an agreement.

Brewdog Upminster Licence Variation Application

Bailey's Bar Limited, the applicant, is seeking to vary the premises licence for Brewdog Upminster, located at 18 Station Road in Upminster. The proposed changes include:

• Starting alcohol sales at 10:00am every day.
• A revised door staff requirement on Thursdays: A minimum of one SIA-trained¹ door supervisor from 19:00 until closing, increasing to two if the first-floor bar, rooftop bar, or both are open.
• Maintaining the existing door staff requirements for Fridays and Saturdays.
• Aligning outdoor recorded music timings with deregulated hours².

The application received one representation from Havering's Environmental Health Noise Team, and no objections from residents or neighbouring businesses.

Noise Management Plan

The primary concern raised was the potential for public nuisance due to amplified music from the rooftop terrace. The noise officer, George Pater, proposed the introduction of a noise management plan, which would require the premises to operate within specific noise limits.

The noise officer proposed an amendment to the operating schedule, which would include a condition requiring that the premises operates within the bounds of a noise management plan.

Errol Keane, owner and proprietor of Brewdog Upminster, initially declined the proposal, citing concerns about limiting the use of the roof terrace for occasional events with amplified music. However, he later expressed willingness to agree to a noise management plan, provided there was flexibility for occasional events.

Councillor Jane Keane, licensing vice chair, noted that the current licence already requires the venue to keep noise limited to five decibels over the ambient noise. Errol Keane admitted that he could not guarantee that he had stayed within the limit on occasion, but that he had never received a noise complaint.

George Pater stated that the existing five decibel limit was difficult to enforce due to the Deregulation Act 2015, which meant that noise conditions on the licence were not enforceable up until 11pm. He stated that a noise management plan would be enforceable, as it would be about operational procedures.

The committee decided to adjourn the meeting to allow for further investigation into noise levels, and to allow the applicant and the environmental health noise team to attempt to reach an agreement.

Discrepancies in the Application

During the meeting, Councillor Jane Keane raised concerns about discrepancies between the application, the existing licence, and the licensing officer's report. These included:

• Extended Hours: The application appeared to request later hours for alcohol sales on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve than the existing licence permitted.
• Kitchen Opening Hours: The licensing officer's report did not reflect the kitchen's actual opening hours, which vary depending on the day of the week.
• Door Staff Requirements: There were inconsistencies between the licence, the application, and the report regarding door staff requirements, particularly for Thursdays.

Paul Jones, public protection officer, clarified that his report was a summary of the application and that the application itself was the definitive document. He also stated that the applicant was seeking to serve alcohol from 10am to keep up with local competitors.

Errol Keane clarified that the door staff requirements in the application were for a minimum of one door staff on a Thursday, and an additional one per additional floor that was open.

The committee requested clarification on these points for the continuation of the hearing.

Ambient Noise Readings

George Pater stated that he would like to take an ambient reading to get a true representative level of the area, and not just rely on his experience of other premises. He also stated that he would need to speak to his senior officer in respect of noise levels.

He further noted that the council's equipment for measuring acoustics and noise was having technical issues with its calibration, and that he was unsure when it would be fixed. Councillor Christine Smith, licensing vice chair, suggested that the council hire equipment to measure the noise, rather than waiting for the existing equipment to be repaired.