The Licensing Sub-Committee of Ealing Council was scheduled to consider a review of a premises licence for AAK Superstore. The meeting agenda also included a procedural guidance note.

Review of Premises Licence for AAK Superstore

The primary item scheduled for discussion was an application to review the premises licence for AAK Superstore, located at 13 Dudley Road, Southall, Middlesex, UB2 5AS. This review was initiated by Ealing Council's Licensing Enforcement and Compliance team.

The report pack outlined the potential outcomes for the committee to consider, which included:

• Modifying the conditions of the licence.
• Excluding a licensable activity from the licence.
• Suspending the licence for a period not exceeding three months.
• Revoking the licence.
• Removing the designated premises supervisor.
• Leaving the licence as it is.

The licensable activities authorised by the current licence for AAK Superstore are the retail sale of alcohol for off-premises consumption, with premises opening hours from Monday to Saturday between 08:00 and 23:00, and on Sundays from 10:00 to 22:30. The report noted that a variation of the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) application had been received to change the DPS from Rajinder Bhatia to Akritta Kaur Bhatia.

The report detailed that no representations had been received from responsible authorities or other interested parties by the deadline of 23 March 2026.

The report pack provided extensive background information regarding the application for review. It referenced previous issues at the premises, including a review hearing on 18 October 2023, which resulted in the addition of four conditions to the premises licence. These conditions included a three-month licence suspension, the requirement for Ms. Akritta Bhatia to complete DPS training, for all employees to undergo appropriate training, and for Mr. Kulwant Singh Bhatia to have no involvement in the management or operation of the business.

Further details were provided concerning two inspections conducted by the Licensing Enforcement and Compliance team. On 28 October 2025, an inspection found a male on the premises who was not a personal licence holder, a breach of condition 9 of the premises licence. This individual's immigration status card had expired, and he stated he was awaiting a new one. On 29 November 2025, a joint visit with Immigration Enforcement officers identified the same male and Ms. Bhatia, the premises licence holder. During this visit, the male was detained, and it was alleged that his immigration status had expired, meaning he had no right to work in the UK. The report also indicated that Mr. Kulwant Singh Bhatia, despite previous conditions, was still involved in the business.

The report also referred to the Council's Statement of Licensing Policy¹, which sets out proposed management controls to promote the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. It also outlined core hours for licensable activities and considerations for applications outside these hours.

Panel Procedure Guidance Note

A document titled Panel Procedure Guidance Note was also scheduled for consideration. This document would have outlined the procedures to be followed during the Licensing Sub-Committee hearings. The summary of the procedure indicated that the Chairman would explain the process at the start of the meeting, and parties could be represented. The general procedure involved the Licensing Officer introducing the report, followed by the applicant presenting their case, then representations from those who have made them, and finally, brief summations from each party. The sub-committee would then retire to reach a decision.