The Licensing Sub-Committee granted a variation to The Little Blue Door's premises licence, allowing for extended operating hours. The committee also considered a review of Best Quality Food and Wine's premises licence, ultimately revoking it due to repeated failures to uphold licensing objectives related to the protection of children.

The Little Blue Door - 871-873 Fulham Road, London SW6 5HP

The committee granted the application to extend the terminal hours for The Little Blue Door. The premises will now be able to serve alcohol until 1 am on Thursdays and 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays. The hours the premises is open to the public will also be extended accordingly. The committee agreed to replace existing conditions on the licence with those proposed by the Metropolitan Police, which were accepted by the applicant. Additionally, 11 new conditions proposed by the police were added, along with a condition for the implementation of the Ask for Angela scheme.

The application was heard by Councillor Kanam Nimmo, Councillor Dominic Stanton, and Councillor Jacolyn Daly. The licensing officer, Neil Gardener, presented the application. Tim Fuller spoke on behalf of objectors Sarah Schillingford and Robin Aida, expressing concerns about setting a precedent for extending hours in a mixed residential and commercial area. Alan Thomas, the applicant's agent, and Jamie Hazel and Cameron Daddachty, co-founders and co-managing directors of Little Doron Co., presented the case for the extension, highlighting the business's commitment to safety and customer demand.

Arguments against the extension centred on the area being classified as mixed-use rather than town centre according to the council's Statement of Licensing Policy¹, and the potential for this to set a precedent for other establishments. The applicant's agent countered that the policy was not explicit about town centre definitions and that the application should be judged on its merits, citing the lack of objections from responsible authorities and the business's strong track record.

The committee considered the location of the premises, noting it was situated in an area with a significant commercial presence. They also discussed the character of Fulham Road, which was described as a buzzy commercial area with a mix of hospitality venues and residential properties above ground-floor businesses. The applicant's representatives emphasised their commitment to safety and the positive impact the extended hours would have on their independent business.

The committee also reviewed Temporary Event Notices (TENs) submitted by the applicant, which showed a history of late-night operations without incident.

Best Quality Food and Wine - 333-335 Lillie Road, London SW6 7NR

The Licensing Sub-Committee revoked the premises licence for Best Quality Food and Wine. This decision followed a review application initiated by the council's Trading Standards team, citing failures to promote the licensing objective of the protection of children from harm.

The review highlighted a history of alleged underage sales of alcohol and vapes. Multiple complaints from parents, school staff, and members of the public were presented, detailing instances where individuals under 18 were reportedly sold age-restricted products without adequate age verification. A particularly concerning incident involved a 15-year-old girl being hospitalised after consuming vodka purchased from the premises.

Evidence presented included test purchase results, witness statements, and CCTV footage. The review also noted breaches of licence conditions, including inadequate CCTV coverage of the sales counter and a lack of proper refusals logs.

The Metropolitan Police and the Licensing Authority both submitted representations in support of the review, citing failures to uphold the licensing objectives of the protection of children from harm and the prevention of crime and disorder.

The premises licence holder, Tara Ram Singh, and his son, Satnam Singh, were noted to have attended Trading Standards training and accepted cautions following earlier incidents. However, the review concluded that despite these interventions, the business continued to demonstrate a disregard for licensing laws and the welfare of young customers. The recommendation to revoke the licence was based on the repeated nature of the alleged offences, the potential for serious harm to children, and a lack of confidence in the premises licence holder's ability to improve compliance.