Agenda and draft minutes

Odeon Cinema, 24-27 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LE (“The Premises”)

19/05567/LIPV

1.

Sale by Retail of Alcohol

Amendments to application advised at hearing:

The applicant advised the Sub-Committee that the hours for the provision of off sales of alcohol would be reduced to between 10:00 and 22:00 hours.

Decision (including reasons if different from those set out in report):

The Sub-Committee considered an application by Odeon Cinemas Ltd for a variation of a premises licence in respect of Odeon Cinema, 24-27 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LE.

Ms Davies, representing the applicant, explained that the application before the Sub-Committee was seeking to allow the consumption of alcohol in a designated external area situated at the front of the Premises. The Sub-Committee was advised that planning permission had been granted for the use of this external area for tables and chairs. It was already in operation and currently was used to provide food and non-intoxicating beverages to customers sat outside. It was advised that whilst this area had been utilised no concerns over its operation had been raised. The cinema had reopened in December 2018 following an extensive refurbishment which had updated the venue and also significantly reduced its capacity. This reduction had resulted in approximately 1000 less customers being present at the cinema at its terminal hour. What the application was seeking was simply to allow customers to drink alcohol in an external area, like other premises in close proximity were already permitted to do.

The Sub-Committee was informed by Ms Davies that the application would also help facilitate the customer service operation at the Premises. Currently, resources were having to be used to ensure customers did not take alcohol outside, therefore permitting the application would ensure these resources could be utilised elsewhere. It was confirmed that anyone consuming alcohol in the external area would have to purchase a ticket for the cinema beforehand. The hours when alcohol could be supplied in this area had also been reduced to within core hours following discussions with the Police and Environmental Health (EH). All external furniture would be taken inside the cinema after 22:00 hours. A condition had also been agreed with the Police whereby no glass vessels would be permitted to be used in the external area; reusable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

22 Great Chapel Street, London, W1F 8FR (“The Premises”)

19/04311/LIPN

1.

Sale by Retail of Alcohol – On and Off Sales

Monday to Thursday: 10:00 to 23:30

Friday to Saturday: 10:00 to 00:00

Sunday: 12:00 to 22:30

Seasonal Variations / Non-Standard Timings:

All licensable activities shall be extended from the end of permitted hours on New Year’s Eve to the start of permitted hours on New Year’s Day.

On Sundays prior to bank holidays/public holidays 12:00 to 00:00.

Amendments to application advised at hearing:

None.

Decision (including reasons if different from those set out in report):

The Sub-Committee considered an application by Cake and Tea Ltd (“The Applicant”) for a new premises licence in respect of 22 Great Chapel Street, London, W1F 8FR.

The Licensing officer introduced the application and confirmed that the Metropolitan Police had withdrawn their representation following the agreement of conditions with the applicant.

Mr Grant, representing the applicant, advised the Sub-Committee that until its recent closure, there had been an alcohol-led licensed premises at 22 Great Chapel Street since 1790. The applicant was now seeking a way to try and reopen the venue as a member of the Inception Group. The Inception Group was a collection of establishments operating under the Mr Fogg’s theme. Mr Grant provided an overview of the history of the Premises and detailed how until recently it had operated as a gin bar on the ground floor with a restaurant and café located in the basement. The application before the Sub-Committee was proposing for it to continue primarily as an alcohol led establishment. Network Rail had been working directly opposite the Premises on the Crossrail development for several years and Mr Grant advised that it was this disturbance which had effectively led to the closure of the business. The Sub-Committee was informed that the current landlord had expressed approval for the Inception Group operating the Premises. One of the main reasons for this approval was Mr Fogg’s expertise in gin which was welcomed as the Premises had formerly traded as the London Gin Club. If the Sub-Committee was minded to grant the licence the applicant would redesign the Premises in the style of its other Mr Fogg’s establishments.

Mr Grant explained that the hours applied for were consistent with the other Mr Fogg’s premises and were only a slight extension on what was currently permitted. The hours for the sale by retail of alcohol were within core hours, however an additional 30 minutes to allow the Premises to open was requested  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

Essentials, Ground Floor Unit G2, The London Pavilion, 1 Piccadilly, London (“The Premises”)

19/05805/LIPN

1.

Sale by Retail of Alcohol – Off Sales

Monday to Saturday: 08:00 to 23:00

Sunday: 10:00 to 22:30

Amendments to application advised at hearing:

None.

Decision (including reasons if different from those set out in report):

The Sub-Committee considered an application by Global Vips Ltd (“The Applicant”) for a new premises licence in respect of Essentials, Ground Floor Unit G2, The London Pavilion, 1 Piccadilly, London.

The Licensing Officer introduced the application to the Sub-Committee.

Ms Sharkey, representing the applicant, explained that the applicant already operated a number of convenience stores, four of which were located within Westminster. One of these was situated in Coventry Street and another in Leicester Square tube station. These two premises had both been granted licences which permitted off sales of alcohol from the Coventry Street location and late-night refreshment on Fridays and Saturdays from the Leicester Square premises. The conditions offered in the application before it mirrored those agreed on the other two licences mentioned. The Sub-Committee noted that the applicant had been operating the Leicester Square premises for 30 years.

Ms Sharkey drew the Sub-Committee’s attention to the plans and highlighted how the Premises operated over two levels. On the ground floor access to the Premises was at street level with the entrance of the store situated very close to the entrance to Piccadilly tube station. The lower ground floor level was situated entirely within the tube station itself. It was confirmed that there was no customer access between the two floors. The application for the sale of alcohol was in accordance with what was granted at the Coventry Street premises. The hours requested were within core hours, no issues at the other premises operated by the applicant had been reported with regard to the sale of alcohol and the alcohol offer proposed for the application was considered very restricted. Licensable activities would be ancillary to the Premises operating as a convenience store, only a maximum of 15% of the shop’s floor space could be used to display alcohol with the sale price considered high in comparison to supermarkets. It was suggested that the clientele would mainly consist of tourists.

The Police representation was noted by the applicant and Ms Sharkey highlighted how it had not been made in relation to the sale of alcohol. The main concern stated related to the provision of late-night refreshment. The Sub-Committee was informed that late night refreshment had only been applied for on Fridays and Saturdays and was being sought to cater for those using  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

63-64 Frith Street, London, W1D 3JW (“The Premises”)

19/04820/LIPN

1.

Sale by Retail of Alcohol – On and Off Sales

Monday to Saturday: 10:00 to 00:00

Sunday: 12:00 to 23:30

Specific details restricting the sale and consumption of alcohol:

1. The permitted hours for the sale of alcohol are as follows:

(a)    On weekdays, other than Christmas Day and Good Friday, 10.00  to 23.00.

(b)    On Sundays, other than Christmas Day, 12.00 noon to 22.30.

(c)    On Good Friday, 12.00 to 22.30.

(d)    On Christmas Day, 12.00 to 15.00 and 19.00 to    22.30.

(e)    On New Year's Eve from the end of permitted hours on New Year's Eve to the start of permitted hours on the following day (or, if there are no permitted hours on the following day, 00.00 midnight on 31st December).

2.   Alcohol may be sold or supplied for one hour following the hours set out above (other than Christmas Day and New Year's Eve), and on Christmas Day, between 15.00 and 19.00, to persons taking table meals in the premises in a part of the premises usually set apart for the service of such persons and for consumption by such a person in that part of the premises as an ancillary to his meal. For other purposes or in other parts of the premises the hours set out above shall continue to apply.

Amendments to application advised at hearing:

None.

Decision (including reasons if different from those set out in report):

The Sub-Committee considered an application by Gladwin Brothers Enterprises Ltd (“The Applicant”) for a new premises licence in respect of 63-64 Frith Street, London, W1D 3JW.

The Licensing Officer introduced the application and confirmed that the proposed hours sought for the provision of recorded music had been reduced to between 10:00 to 00:00.

Mr Spiegler, representing the applicant, highlighted that that the establishment had benefitted from a previous premises licence. It was explained that condition 9 on this licence prohibited any intoxicating liquor from being sold or supplied in the area marked as the restaurant other than to persons taking a table meal. The Sub-Committee was advised that the original plans did not identify a designated restaurant area. It was therefore considered that this condition was unenforceable and one of the aims of the application before the Sub-Committee was to tidy up this anomaly and increase the level of control over the Premises. The existing licence had very few conditions attached to it and the applicant had only recently been made aware that it had actually lapsed under section 27 of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.