The Licensing Sub-Committee E met on Tuesday 18 November 2025. The committee reviewed the premises licence for Molly Blooms, 525 Kingsland Road, London, E8 4AR, and decided to modify its conditions. No Temporary Event Notices were considered at the meeting.

Review of Premises Licence: Molly Blooms, 525 Kingsland Road, London, E8 4AR

The Licensing Sub-Committee reviewed the premises licence for Molly Blooms, located at 525 Kingsland Road, London, E8 4AR. The review was initiated by the Licensing Authority due to concerns regarding the prevention of public nuisance.

The committee decided to modify the conditions of the premises licence. The operating hours for licensable activities will remain unchanged. However, several new conditions have been added to the licence:

• The doors leading to Bentley Road must be closed and secured from customer use after 10:00 PM daily, except in emergencies.
• Doors and windows must be kept closed, except for access and egress, when regulated entertainment is taking place.
• The premises management team is required to implement an External Area Management Plan and submit a copy to the Licensing Authority.
• A Dispersal Policy must be implemented by the premises management team, with a copy submitted to the Licensing Authority.
• The premises licence holder must make a contact telephone number publicly available for local residents to directly contact the management team during operating hours.
• If substantiated complaints regarding noise from regulated entertainment are received by the Council's Licensing or Environmental Health Team, the premises licence holder will be required to install a sound limiter, and all live and recorded music must be routed through it.

The Sub-Committee's decision was based on representations from the Licensing Authority, local residents, and the premises licence holder. While 44 representations were received in support of the premises from local residents, the Licensing Authority raised concerns about public nuisance, particularly regarding patrons in external areas and noise. The premises licence holder, Fintan Keyes, and his legal representative acknowledged past issues but highlighted efforts to mitigate concerns. The Sub-Committee noted the positive representations from local residents who stated they had experienced no problems and considered the premises an important part of the community.

The Sub-Committee decided not to alter the operating hours, provided the agreed conditions, dispersal policy, and external area management plan were implemented. They sympathised with the licence holder's circumstances but stressed the importance of staff management and the provision of CCTV footage when requested by authorised officers. The modification of licence conditions was deemed appropriate to uphold the licensing objectives, particularly the prevention of public nuisance. The licence holder was encouraged to work collaboratively with the Licensing Authority and local residents.

The review process involved extensive documentation, including warning letters sent to the licensee by the Licensing Service on 27th October 2023, 28th May 2024, and 27th June 2025, detailing alleged breaches of licence conditions, such as patrons consuming alcohol in external areas and the Bentley Road entrance being left open. Correspondence between the Licensing Service and the licensee's agent, Guy Hicks, also indicated attempts to arrange meetings to address these issues. Numerous letters of support from customers and community members were submitted, attesting to the pub's positive role in the Dalston community, its welcoming atmosphere, and its efforts to prevent nuisance and ensure public safety.

Temporary Event Notices - Standing Item

No Temporary Event Notices were considered at this meeting.