The Alcohol & Gambling Licensing Sub-Committee of West Northamptonshire Council was scheduled to consider an application for the review of a premises licence for Central Food and Wine. The meeting was also to address the potential exclusion of the press and public from discussions.

Premises Licence Review - Central Food and Wine

The sub-committee was scheduled to consider an application for a review of the premises licence for Central Food and Wine, located at 15 Collingwood Road, Northampton. This review was initiated by Northamptonshire Police on the grounds of failure to promote the licensing objective of the prevention of crime and disorder.

The report pack detailed several incidents that led to the review. Trading Standards conducted test purchases on 31 August 2025 and 7 September 2025, during which illicit cigarettes were sold. A subsequent multi-agency operation on 23 October 2025, involving Northamptonshire Police, Immigration Officers, and Fire Protection Officers, resulted in the seizure of a significant quantity of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco from a van associated with the premises. Officers believed these items were counterfeit, foreign-labelled, or cheap whites, meaning they were not permitted for sale on the UK market. The total value of the seized items, if sold at legal prices, was estimated to be over £15,700.

The current premises licence holder is Ms Nicoleta Puscasu, who is also the designated premises supervisor. The premises is licensed for the retail sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises between 08:00 and 00:00, Monday to Sunday.

A significant development noted in the report was an email received on 22 January 2026 from the premises licence holder stating her wish to surrender the premises licence. Under Section 28 of the Licensing Act 2003, this means the licence had lapsed on receipt of the written notice. However, Section 50 of the same Act allows for the reinstatement and transfer of a lapsed licence within 28 days of its lapse, provided an application is made and no objection is raised by the Chief Officer of Police. The deadline for such an application was 19 February 2026.

Given the licence had lapsed, the sub-committee was presented with two options: to adjourn the hearing until after 19 February 2026, at which point the licence could not be reinstated if an application had been made, or to proceed with the hearing and consider modifying the licence conditions, excluding licensable activities, removing the designated premises supervisor, suspending the licence for up to three months, or revoking it.

The report highlighted that no representations were received from responsible authorities or other interested parties during the 28-day consultation period following the notice of review.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The agenda also included a provision for the potential exclusion of the press and public from the meeting. This would be considered under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, if it was deemed that exempt information, falling under Schedule 12A of the Act, would be disclosed. The recommendation was to resolve that the public and press be excluded if the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosure.