Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Allen, with Cllr Oswell substituting.

There were no declarations of interest.

It was confirmed that all items were marked as Part I, and would therefore be considered in public.

None.

Introduction by the Licensing Officer

Ms Jhini Mukherjee, Licensing Officer at the London Borough of Hillingdon, introduced the report relating to an application for a new premises licence at Northwood News, 46 Green Lane, Northwood, HA6 2QB.

The Sub-Committee was informed that the application submitted was for a licence to sell alcohol, Monday to Sunday, from 06:00 to 23:00 hours. Members heard that three representations were submitted in objection to the application due to concerns under the Licensing Act objectives. There were concerns that the sale of alcohol late into the night would lead to a rise in anti-social behavious and other crime. It was also referred that the licensable hours applied for by the applicant were excessive for the area. There was also a letter of support received from a local resident. The Committee was informed that on a recent visit by the Metropolitan Police, the applicant refused to serve alcohol and fully complied with the licensing objectives.

Ms Mukherjee noted that there were no fixed restrictions on terminal hours for any particular areas within the Borough, and made reference to the other business with operating hours similar to those proposed by the applicant, so it was deemed unfair to arbitrarily restrict licensable hours for this particular premises. Recommended conditions were laid out in the report, in addition to the conditions proposed by the applicant in their operating schedule.

Responding to questioning from the Sub-Committee, Ms Mukherjee stated that there were no recorded Member Enquiries or reports of anti-social behaviour at the premises in the past five years.

Ms Mukherjee recommended that the application be granted.

Representation by the Applicant

The applicant’s representative confirmed that the applicant had been working in retail for over 17 years, with seven years of experience managing off-licensed premises. The applicant had recently taken over Northwood News to run as a family business with his brother.

Members heard that alcohol would only be one part of the product available at the premises, in addition to groceries and other goods, and the majority of the customer base were elderly residents or families. The community had been very supportive, in particular the elderly residents, and customers had been very welcoming, even asking for further services, such as a post office.

The Sub-Committee was informed that the applicant requested opening house from 06:00 to 23:00 hours, and the conditions suggested were more than was required for a premises of this size, but they would help protect the premises, although no incidents had been reported in the area.

The applicant’s agent also confirmed that there had been no incidents of anti-social behaviour concerning the premises.

The Chairman sought clarification on Condition 4, which stated that management would keep the area tidy, and were informed by the applicant that during the opening hours, staff would keep an eye on the street outside and pick up rubbish when required to ensure the area was tidy. The applicant noted that he would pick up general litter outside the shop, even if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.