Agenda and minutes

To agree the procedure rules for remote meetings.

RESOLVED –

THAT the guidance be agreed.

There were none.

There were none.

Webcasting

The Chair announced that the meeting was being broadcast live to the internet and would be capable of repeated viewing and copies of the recording could be made available to those that requested them. Those participating in the meeting were deemed to be consenting to being filmed.

There was no urgent business.

Report of the Executive Director Supporting Communities

This is an application to vary a premises licence under section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003.

Consideration was given to a report of the Executive Director Supporting Communities detailing an application to vary a premises licence under section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003. Consideration was also given to the information included in the Supplementary Agenda.

The Licensing Officer took the Panel through the report and advised that three representations had been received opposing the application, including representation from the Police Responsible Authority and the Licensing Responsible Authority.

The premises was located within the Camden Town Culminative Impact Policy Area (CIA), so there was a rebuttable presumption to refuse the application for a variation.

The licensing objectives engaged by this application were the Prevention of Crime and Disorder and the Prevention of Public Nuisance. The hours policy was also engaged by this application in relation to the proposed terminal times for licensable activities.

The applicant’s representative confirmed that there were no amendments to the application.

Police Constable Dominic Hallam, representing the Police Responsible Authority, made submissions to the panel by summarising his objections as set out in his written statement.

Responding to a question PC Hallam advised that the violent robberies that had caused problems in the area always occurred after midnight, with the most recent intelligence report identifying the peak time for these incidents as between 1:00hrs and 4:00hrs.

Dennis Viechweg, representing the Licensing Responsible Authority, made submissions to the panel, and summarised his objections as set out in his written representation. He advised that the representation was being made on policy grounds, as the premises was in a CIA.

Kate Gemmel representing Tenants and Residents Association Camden Town (TRACT), summarised TRACTs objections to the application, as outlined in their written submission.

The applicant, Nick Campbell, and the applicant’s legal representative, Niall McCann, summarised the application.

Responding to questions, Nick Campbell, Niall McCann, and Kelsey Brennan (Operations Manager, Simmons) provided the following information:

• The application for a variation sought an additional hour of licensable activities on Friday and Saturday only.
• The applicant did not seek to change the time for last entry, which will remain at 00:30hrs, meaning that patrons leaving other establishments that close earlier would not be able to migrate to the premises.
• The venue was small with a capacity of 100 patrons only.
• If the additional hours were to be granted, the applicant would agree to a condition that made the additional hours unique to Simmons and could not be transferred to a different operator in the future.
• The applicant was also agreeable to accepting a condition related to women’s safety and the Ask for Angela scheme and suggested wording as follows: ‘the premises will support the ‘Ask Angela’ campaign or any successor to it. This will include displaying appropriate signage in the premises and regular staff training to ensure that any incidents of harassment to women are quickly identified, reported, and tackled
• As part of the venues dispersal policy, patrons were directed to Mornington Crescent tube station on the Northern Line, which operated 24 hours a day at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Report of the Executive Director Supporting Communities

This is an application for a new premises licence under section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003.

Consideration was given to a report of the Executive Director Supporting Communities detailing an application for a new premises licence under section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003. Consideration was also given to the information included in the Supplementary Agenda.

The Licensing Officer informed the panel that the Police Responsible Authority had agreed conditions with the applicant so had withdrawn their representation. Therefore, one relevant representation remained from a Residents Association.

The premises was not situated in a Culminative Impact Policy Area (CIA). The licensing objectives engaged by the application were prevention of crime and disorder and prevention of public nuisance. 

It was confirmed by the applicant that there were no amendments to the application.

Kate Gemmel, representing TRACT, summarised her objections to the application, as outlined in her written submission.

The applicants, represented by James Allen (Legal Representative), Trish Moody (Operations Director, Young’s), and Nikki Byrne (Operations Manager, Young’s) summarised the application and responded to questions as follows:

• The terrace had 54 seats, and the applicant would be willing to agree to a condition that limited the capacity to 80 patrons although it currently had no capacity restriction under planning permission.
• Off-sales would be served in polycarbonate cups, which would be reused and recycled at the premises or, as the cups were of a high-quality, it was unlikely that patrons would discard them and instead might take the cup home to reuse. The motivation for using polycarbonate cups was to avoid glass being used outside.
• During winter, mulled wine would be served in be in paper cups suited for hot beverages.
• The External Management Policy covered customers using the outside areas of the premises, and any customers who may have passed by on the towpath.
• It was not envisaged that there would be an increased risk from drinking alcohol near to the river as customers would primarily be using one of the outside areas of the premises or may wish to stop and get a drink if they were passing by on the towpath and it was not likely that stopping for a drink will change their behaviour in any way.
• The basement bar, which can be accessed from the towpath, will be open all year round.
• The premises would very much be a community pub, driven by the general manager being the landlord and the site being somewhat isolated meaning that local residents and businesses would be the main customer base.
• A full kitchen was fitted at the premises so the pub could offer a wider range of high-quality food and meals.
• To make the premises viable as a business it was important to have a licence as generous as policy would allow, however that did not mean that certain licensable activities would make up a significant part of the business.
• For example, being a pub, off-sales would be rare and negligible in terms of profit and was more about improving the customer experience by allowing patrons to take drinks home if they were walking along the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12^th January 2023.

Consideration was given to the Minutes of the meeting that took place on 12^th January 2023.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes be approved and signed as a correct record.

There was none.