Agenda and minutes

PREMISES

Family Bargains

Unit 6A, The Brewery Shopping Centre

Waterloo Road

Romford

RM1 1AU

DETAILS OF APPLICATION

Application for a premises licence under section 17 the Licensing Act 2003 (“the Act”).

APPLICANT

99p Stores Limited

Style Way

Pineham, Northampton

Northamptonshire

NN4 9EX

1.         Details of the application

Seasonal variations & Non-standard timings

No seasonal variation or non standard timing was applied for in this application.

2.         Promotion of the Licensing Objectives

The applicant completed the operating schedule, which formed part of the application to promote the four licensing objectives.

The applicant had complied with the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises Licences etc) Regulations 2005, regulations 25 and 26 relating to the advertising of the application.  The required newspaper advertisement had appeared in the Yellow Advertiser on Wednesday 11^th January 2012.

3.         Details of Representations

Valid representations may only address the four licensing objectives

Councillor Frederick Thompson, an interested party, made a written representation against this application on the following grounds that:

1)     Romford Town Centre already had too many licensed premises as evident from the Havering Alcohol Saturation Zone Policy.

2)     The proposed hours would facilitate pre-loading where visitors to nightclubs buy and consume usually high strength alcohol prior to entering night clubs. This had an impact on Public Safety as it caused quick inebriation and longer term health effects

3)     the whole store being licensed enabled display of alcoholic beverages right up to the front of the shop which may encourage impulse buying which would have a similar impact on public safety

4)     unlike nearby Sainsbury with a different type of clientele, this outlet may facilitate street drinking despite the Town Centre being a controlled zone and thereby cause public nuisance. The main trouble spots were on South Street and that would be the main focus for police efforts to control the Town Centre

5)     the store entrance and exit directly in to an open plaza adds more pressure on passing adults being pressured by children to make illegal purchases on their behalf and the increased risk of young shoplifters if alcoholic drink was displayed too close to the front of the premise, which impacted on the protection of children from harm objective.

Cllr Thompson did not attend the hearing.

Responsible Authorities

Two Responsible Authorities made representations against this application. The Metropolitan Police and Environmental Health, Health and Safety who outlined a number of points relating to the licensing objectives and the Saturation Policy.

Chief Officer of Metropolitan Police (“the Police”): The Metropolitan Police were of the opinion that the application had not covered the licensing objectives to a satisfactory standard. That the premise was within the saturation policy area and allowing the application would only add to further cumulative impact in the area which was already under stress.  PC Fern attended to confirm the written representations.

The representation detailed the following:

• that the premises was inside the saturation area set out in Havering’s licensing policy
• That it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.