Agenda and minutes

The Council’s Licensing Officer, Ms Rachel Taylor, presented a report in respect of an application for a new premises licence for Embas Stores, 9-10 The Triangle, Tanner Street, Barking, IG11 8QA. Representations had been received from local residents and a Ward Councillor under the Licensing Objectives of ‘the Prevention of Crime and Disorder’, ‘Public Safety’, ‘the Prevention of Public Nuisance’ and ‘the Protection of Children from Harm’.

The application sought consent for the retail sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises from 07.00 each day Monday to Saturday to 03.00 on the day following, and from 08.00 to 23.00 on Sunday. It also sought consent for opening hours as per the hours for the retail sale of alcohol. The operating schedule provided with the application proposed a range of conditions, such as CCTV provision and a Challenge 25 age verification scheme.

Following initial representations from a local ward councillor and 11 local residents (including two petitions consisting of 118 signatures combined), discussions were held between the Metropolitan Police Licensing Officer and the applicant concerning the lateness of the hour of the application during the consultation process. This resulted in a reduction in the hours of the application for the sale of alcohol to 23.00, which satisfied the requirements and proposed conditions of both the Metropolitan Police and the Council’s Licensing team. On 28 April 2021, a conciliation meeting was held with the local ward councillor and 23 local residents to clarify the terms of the application and the offered reduction in the hours sought. At the meeting, residents sought a further reduction in the operating hours of the premises and the Sunday opening. Further discussions with the applicant resulted in a further amendment of the application, reducing the Sunday hours for alcohol sales from 09.00 to 21.00. Following this, two local residents indicated that they wished their representations to be heard at a public hearing.

The Sub-Committee first heard from one of these objecting local residents, who attended to make oral representations on behalf of themselves, and the other residents who objected to the granting of the premises licence. In their representations, they made objections on the basis of all four of the licensing objectives. They stated that the residents had concerns in respect of anti-social behaviour, nuisance including drunken behaviour, and prostitution, noting the issues that there had been in the past in relation to these behaviours.

They were pleased to note that following the conciliation meeting on 28 April 2021, the opening hours had been reduced, but noted that the residents still had concerns over the lateness of the opening hours, particularly on a Sunday. They stated that there were already other off-licences in the area and questioned the need for another. The local resident pointed out the general nature of the area; it being a quiet residential area and described issues of people buying alcohol, congregating and generally causing a late-night nuisance in the area along with the issues of littering and urinating. They proposed that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.