The Licensing Sub-Committee of Havering Council met on Monday 10 November 2025 to consider an application to vary the premises licence for The Drill Hotel. The application, made by Star Pubs Trading Limited, sought to extend the pub's opening hours and licensable activities.

Application to Vary Premises Licence for The Drill Hotel

The primary focus of the meeting was an application by Star Pubs Trading Limited to vary the premises licence for The Drill Hotel, located at the intersection of Brentwood Road and Slewins Lane. The proposed variations included extending licensable activities to midnight from Monday to Thursday and 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Additionally, the applicant sought to extend these hours on New Year's Eve until the end of permitted hours on New Year's Day, and to increase the premises' closing time to 00:20 on weekdays and 01:20 on weekends. A new condition was also proposed, requiring notices at all exits to remind customers to leave quietly and respect local residents.

The application was opposed by three responsible authorities: the Licensing Authority, the Metropolitan Police Service, and Havering's Environmental Health Service.

The Licensing Authority, represented by Oisin Daly, raised concerns that the requested hours fell outside the London Borough of Havering's (LBH) licensing policy for premises in mixed-use and residential areas. They argued that extending drinking hours could lead to increased intoxication, disorderly conduct, crime, and public nuisance. While acknowledging their concerns were speculative and lacked concrete evidence, the Licensing Authority noted the applicant had not proposed extensive mitigating steps, such as the provision of door staff. They also highlighted that the applicant had not provided a public nuisance policy, and suggested that the applicant could have used Temporary Event Notices (TENs) to demonstrate their ability to operate extended hours without causing disturbance.

The Metropolitan Police Service, represented by PC Chris Stockman, also objected to the application. They stated that The Drill is situated in a predominantly residential area, and its current hours are consistent with the quiet character of the locality. The police expressed concerns that extending hours to 01:20 would adversely impact the local community and undermine licensing objectives. They pointed to increased intoxication leading to potential violence and disorder, referencing a 2022 incident of serious violence and public disorder on Christmas Day morning, which they believed was linked to patrons dispersing from the venue. The police highlighted that the area is not a late-night economy zone and lacks infrastructure like permanent door staff, taxi ranks, and extensive CCTV coverage, making it unsuitable for late-night operations. They suggested that if the application were granted, conditions for permanent SIA-licensed door supervisors and ID scanners should be imposed.

Environmental Health, represented by Mike Richardson, echoed concerns about public nuisance, particularly noise from customers leaving the premises. They noted that while the pub was well-managed, noise upon departure was inevitable, and the applicant had not proposed specific measures to alleviate this, beyond please leave quietly notices. Environmental Health also stated they had not received the requested public nuisance policy or details of a noise limiter, despite requests. While acknowledging no complaints had been received in the past 18 months, they maintained that extending hours would inevitably increase noise, especially from customers in the beer garden and at the front of the premises, affecting nearby residents.

Star Pubs Trading Limited, represented by Mr. Morris, and the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), Ms. Kimberley Fitzgibbon, presented the applicant's case. They highlighted The Drill's role as a community pub, its charitable work, and the significant investment made by the DPS. They referred to paragraph 9.43 of the Section 182 Guidance, emphasizing that decisions should be evidence-based, and argued that no evidence had been presented to show that the current operation caused issues or that the proposed extension would. They stated the variation was intended to retain existing customers, not attract new ones, and that the pub's concept would not change. The applicant highlighted that no residents had objected, and that the responsible authorities themselves acknowledged the pub was well-run. They also detailed revised dispersal policies, upgraded CCTV, and the existing last entry condition at 11 pm.

During the hearing, extensive discussions took place regarding potential conditions, including the use of door staff, ID scanners, managing the beer garden, and controlling noise from customers in external areas. The applicant expressed willingness to impose certain conditions, such as restricting beer garden use after 11 pm and limiting the number of customers in smoking areas. However, they resisted mandatory door staff on all late nights, arguing it would be a financial burden and that their risk assessment approach was sufficient.

Decision:

The Licensing Sub-Committee refused the application to vary the premises licence for The Drill Hotel. The Sub-Committee concluded that granting the extension of hours would undermine the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder and preventing public nuisance. They noted the police report detailing a serious incident of violence and disorder in 2022, which they believed demonstrated the risks associated with extended drinking hours in a mixed-use residential area lacking adequate infrastructure for late-night operations. The Sub-Committee also found that the applicant had not provided sufficient information regarding their proposals to prevent public nuisance, particularly concerning noise from departing customers and the lack of a formal public nuisance policy and noise limiter details. They considered the LBH licensing policy and determined that the proposed extension was not appropriate for the premises' location and character, ultimately prioritising the protection of residents from crime, disorder, and noise.

Full written reasons for the decision were to be provided within five working days, and the applicant has 21 days to appeal to the Magistrates' Court.