The vacant parking shop on Lavender Hill: Johnny Fly-to-be. (Image from Google Street View.)
The vacant parking shop on Lavender Hill: Johnny Fly-to-be. (Image from Google Street View.)

The council have received a licensing application from Johnny Fly, 145 Lavender Hill. They are seeking a licence to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises between 10am and 11:30pm seven days a week, and to provide late night refreshment between 11pm and midnight seven days a week.

It is difficult to know what to make of the application; you don’t often get applications for entirely new premises. When it’s for a licence extension you know what and can take a guess on whether it is good or bad. Sometimes you will have an idea of the type of pub because you will know the pub company (as was the case with Battersea Mess and Music Hall). But I haven’t a clue who or what Johnny Fly are. Google can only suggest a US clothing company, which I suspect wouldn’t need an alcohol licence on Lavender Hill. However, I don’t particularly see that section of Lavender Hill as unsuitable for bars and the hours do not seem at all excessive.

If you want to make a representation you have until 5 March. Representations must relate to the four licensing objectives:

  • The prevention of crime and disorder
  • The prevention of public nuisance
  • Public safety
  • The protection of children from harm

The council’s licensing pages provide more information.

If you wish to make an observation you can do so by writing to:
Head of Licensing
Licensing Section
London Borough of Wandsworth
PO Box 47095
London
SW18 9AQ

or by emailing licensing@wandsworth.gov.uk

And as I’m in something of a licensing groove, or rut, I may as well update on the decision of the Battersea Mess licensing review, which has been published today.

In short: do nothing.

The resident who requested the review had moved and decided not to attend the hearing. After listening to the evidence of the Mess, the sub-committee decided no further action was needed and the licence was unaltered.

I’m not surprised, as I commented when highlighting the review “it is well managed and a welcome addition to the evening and cultural offer of Lavender Hill.” I’m pleased the process can recognise well-run pubs as well as tackling those with problems. Although it seems a shame that the legal framework requires a night of everyone’s time, as well as the preparation involved, to do that.

Newspot, Lavender Hill (image from Google Streetview)

To continue today’s licensing theme, Newspot, at 8 Lavender Hill has received an application to extend their licensed hours. Their current hours end at 11pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30pm on Sunday. They are applying for an alcohol licence between 8am until 2am Monday to Thursday, 8am until 3am Friday and Saturday and 10am until 2am on Sunday.

As is often the case with licensing, I find libertarian ideals conflicting with a more authoritarian streak. As a general principle, I don’t see why (or anyone else) shouldn’t be able to buy alcohol when we want – provided the retailer and I both act responsibly. However, the licensing regime we have means that late licences can become destinations and, as a result, problems. In this instance, having recently seen new conditions applied on the Beaufoy, I can’t help but see a new late licence in the area as a retrograde step. In an area that has struggled, but is hopefully about to turn a corner, I would need a lot of persuasion that this application benefits Lavender Hill.

If you want to make a representation you have until 20 June. Representations must relate to the four licensing objectives:

  • The prevention of crime and disorder
  • The prevention of public nuisance
  • Public safety
  • The protection of children from harm

The council’s licensing pages provide more information.

If you wish to make an observation you can do so by writing to:
Head of Licensing
Licensing Section
London Borough of Wandsworth
PO Box 47095
London
SW18 9AQ

or by emailing licensing@wandsworth.gov.uk

Best One, Eversleigh Road (from Google Streetview)

The licensing sub-committee considered Best One’s licensing application last month. The original application was for a licence until 11pm. However (and perhaps in response to local representations) the applicant reduced the hours requested to 9pm six days a week, and 6pm on Sundays.

The application was granted, with a number of conditions to address some of the concerns including:

  • Staff training
  • Installation of CCTV
  • Underage sales prevention
  • ‘Respect your neighbours’ signage
  • Litter cleaning after closing

You can see the full decision on the council’s website.


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Perhaps predictably, within hours of posting the outline of the decision on the Beaufoy I got the detailed decision. This has not been posted on the council’s website yet, but will appear in due course (I’m not sure if it will be under the original 28 February meeting or the adjourned 24 April meeting).

The additional conditions are, I think, interesting and worth posting in full. I’ve never seen some of them used anywhere else before. A proposed set of conditions were suggested jointly by the licensee’s solicitor, police and council, I don’t know how far these were amended by the committee:

The Sub-Committee decided to add the following permanent conditions arising from relevant representations:-

  1. The prevention of crime and disorder
    1. A review of the CCTV system, including the numbers of and positioning of all cameras, shall be agreed with the Metropolitan Police and Licensing Authority and all their recommendations be implemented within 6 months of 24 April 2012 .

    2. CCTV cameras covering the front and side of the venue will be installed.
    3. All recordings from the CCTV system shall be retained and stored in a suitable and secure manner for a minimum of 31 days, and shall be made available on request to the Metropolitan Police, Licensing Authority or other Responsible Authorities.

    4. To ensure that the CCTV system is operating and recording 24 hours a day.
    5. To have a member of staff who is trained in the use of the CCTV system on duty at the premises all times they are open.

    6. No open drinks containers are to be allowed to be taken from the premises.
    7. The premises will be searched at least once daily by trained staff to check for drug usage. A log of these checks shall be kept and produced upon request of a Police Officer.
    8. Customers will be refused entry if they fail to submit to a voluntary search
    9. Ensure that a comprehensive incident register is maintained at the premises. The Designated Premises Supervisor shall ensure that details of incidents (i.e. ejections of persons where the emergency services are called because of offences against the person or theft) shall be added to the register within 24 hours of any incident. The register will be kept at the venue and produced for inspection upon request from the police or an authorised officer from the Licensing Authority. The incident register shall be recorded:-

      1. Date of incident
      2. Time of incident

      3. Location of incident
      4. Persons concerned
      5. Summary of incident

      6. Identification of any Emergency Services Personnel who attended.
    10. A risk assessment form 696 must be completed for every event involving new external promoters and submitted to the Metropolitan Police at least 14 working days prior to any regulated entertainment event taking place.
  2. The prevention of public nuisance
    1. All doors (save for entry and egress) and all windows shall be kept closed whenever Regulated Entertainment is provided, and after 23.00 irrespective of the provision of Regulated Entertainment.

    2. The door staff shall be tasked with maintaining the acoustic lobby at the front of the premises by ensuring that both doors are not opened concurrently (save for emergencies).


The hours are set at:

  • Sunday: 12.00 – 22.30
  • Monday and Tuesday: 10.00 – 00.00
  • Wednesday and Thursday: 10.00 – 01.00
  • Friday and Saturday: 10.00 – 02.00

They are, I think, fairly stringent. Hopefully they will prevent the problems that have been making the lives of neighbours a misery for too long.


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An application has been made by Sweet Sensations, 256 Lavender Hill for an extension to their alcohol licence.

Their current licence allows alcohol sales from 8am until 11pm Monday to Saturday and 10am until 10.30pm on Sundays. They are applying for an extension for sales from 7am until midnight on Sunday to Thursday, with sales until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights.

While the extension is fairly significant they are located in the town centre, with plenty of other late night venues nearby.

If you want to make a representation you have until 21 May. Representations must relate to the four licensing objectives:

  • The prevention of crime and disorder
  • The prevention of public nuisance
  • Public safety
  • The protection of children from harm

The council’s licensing pages provide more information.

If you wish to make an observation you can do so by writing to:
Head of Licensing
Licensing Section
London Borough of Wandsworth
PO Box 47095
London
SW18 9AQ

or by emailing licensing@wandsworth.gov.uk


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The licensing review on the Beaufoy reconvened last week following what can only be described as an abortive first meeting when the police evidence was not as robust as it should have been. I confess that my attempts to find out more about the police’s position in the intervening weeks has done little to enlighten me but nor has it reduced my concerns about the premises.

The formal decision has not been posted on the council’s website yet, however I understand that the decision – following a negotiation between the premises, police and council noise team – was to cut the premises’ licensed hours.

It will now only have a licence until 1am on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights. Perhaps most importantly the premises will need to close 30 minutes after their licensed hours. This removes the loophole that meant it could stay open all night, as long as all sales were completed within licensed hours.

By imposing conditions and bringing the Beaufoy more fully into the council’s licensing regime (I understand elements of the old license traced back to the Greater London Council, not least the long hours) hopefully the new licence will help the landlord keep things in order, and the council and police to enforce if anything gets out of hand.

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A licensing review for Battersea Mess, on Lavender Gardens, has been requested by a local resident on the grounds the existing conditions have not upheld the prevention of public nuisance licensing objective. I understand they seek a restriction of hours and additional conditions.

As a (semi) regular of the Mess I can’t be objective about the review, especially since my experience of the bar is that it is well managed and a welcome addition to the evening and cultural offer of Lavender Hill.

Having said that, the premises have long been largely empty (for example in the out of date Google Street View image). With the, mercifully brief, exception of Walkabout I probably wouldn’t be exaggerating much to suggest it never had more than a dozen customers in at any one time. The difference between a little used pub and a successful pub, restaurant and venue is going to be fairly significant. Though I’m not sure licensing should be used to inhibit success.

If you want to make a representation you have until 8 May.

The council’s licensing pages provide more information.

If you wish to make an observation you can do so by writing to:
Head of Licensing
Licensing Section
London Borough of Wandsworth
PO Box 47095
London
SW18 9AQ

or by emailing licensing@wandsworth.gov.uk

 


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An application has been made by Best One for an alcohol licence at 227-229 Eversleigh Road.

Their application appears quite straightforward, sale of alcohol from 6am until 11pm every day of the week. This would extend beyond the shop’s current opening hours (and I don’t know if it is an indication that the shop is looking to extend it’s hours), but would bring it more into line with similar stores operating nearby on Lavender Hill and Queenstown Road.

If you want to make a representation you have until 27 April. Representations must relate to the four licensing objectives:

  • The prevention of crime and disorder
  • The prevention of public nuisance
  • Public safety
  • The protection of children from harm

The council’s licensing pages provide more information.

If you wish to make an observation you can do so by writing to:
Head of Licensing
Licensing Section
London Borough of Wandsworth
PO Box 47095
London
SW18 9AQ

or by emailing licensing@wandsworth.gov.uk


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An application has been made by the Italian Deli for an alcohol licence at 59 Lavender Hill.

The premises were previously (amongst other things) The Italian Job.

Their application seems relatively moderate: alcohol sales (on and off the premises) and recorded music between 11am and 11pm seven days a week.

If you want to make a representation you have until 28 February. Representations must relate to the four licensing objectives:

  • The prevention of crime and disorder
  • The prevention of public nuisance
  • Public safety
  • The protection of children from harm

The council’s licensing pages provide more information.

If you wish to make an observation you can do so by writing to:
Head of Licensing
Licensing Section
London Borough of Wandsworth
PO Box 47095
London
SW18 9AQ

or by emailing licensing@wandsworth.gov.uk