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RESOLVED:
 
Application to Vary
a Premises Licence – The Black Eel (Former Draughts), 41
Kingsland High Street, London, E8 2JS – APPROVAL
 
The decision of 25th
November 2025
 
The Licensing Sub-Committee, in considering
this decision from the information presented to them within the
report and at the hearing and having regard to the promotion of the
licensing objectives:
 
· 
The prevention of crime and disorder
· 
Public safety
· 
Prevention of public nuisance
· 
The protection of children from harm
 
The application to vary a premises licence has
been approved in accordance with the Council’s Statement of
Licensing and the proposed conditions set out in paragraph 8.1 of
the report as follows:
 
 
· 
The changes to layout of the premises have been granted to show the
outside bar (which was already in situ but not shown in plan) and
to add a private hire room on the first floor.
· 
Condition 36 shall be amended to read as follows:
 
“The capacity of the premises
shall be 350 exclusive of members of staff”
 
 
· 
Condition 37 shall be amended to read as follows:
 
“There will be a minimum of 350
seats or stools available for patrons at   all times.”
 
And the following conditions to be added to
the premises licence: 
 
· 
The Premises Licence Holder shall submit a written dispersal policy
to the Licensing Authority. The dispersal policy shall be
implemented at the premises. All staff shall be briefed on this
dispersal policy. A copy of the policy shall be kept on the
premises and shall be produced to a police officer or other
authorised officer upon request.
· 
After 22:00 no more than 10 patrons will be permitted to smoke
outside the premises at any one time.
 
Reasons for the decision
 
The application to vary this premises licence
has been approved, as members of the Licensing Sub-Committee were
satisfied that the licensing objectives would not be
undermined.
 
 
The Sub-Committee took into consideration
there was one Other Person
(a local resident) who made representations on
the grounds of the prevention of public nuisance and crime, a risk
he associates with the increased capacity. The local resident also
questioned the lack of a dispersal policy and no representations by
other responsible authorities.
 
The Sub-Committee considered the
representations made by the representative for the Premises Licence
Holder. The representative explained that the variation application
was necessary due to a recent refurbishment, which also
incorporated a new first-floor room intended as a dedicated private
space. And that the existing outside bar was not reflected in the
current approved plan.
 
It was further submitted that the application
to increase capacity from 300 to 350 is supported by a new fire
risk assessment (FRA) conducted by a third party. The
representative highlighted that no other responsible authority had
made representations, suggesting their satisfaction with the
application. Crucially, the Premises Licence Holder had reached an
agreement on conditions with the Environmental  Health
Authority  (Environmental Enforcement) /
Community Safety and Enforcement Service, leading to the withdrawal
of their earlier representations.  The
representative for the Premises Licence Holder indicated that the
establishment is not a nightclub or an off-licence and the
increased capacity is relatively small (16.67%) however they were
willing to provide a dispersal policy.
 
The Sub-Committee noted no other Responsible
Authorities made representations.  The
Sub-Committee also noted that the Environmental  Health
Authority  (Environmental Enforcement)
withdrew their representations after agreeing conditions with the
Premises Licence Holder. Whilst the Sub-Committee noted the
conditions agreed with this responsible authority, the applicant
was asked to specifically address how THEY would control the number
of patrons smoking to ensure that noise nuisance is
controlled.  The representative for the
Premises Licence Holder indicated that they would be happy to
accept a condition of limiting the number of patrons smoking
outside to no more than 10 patrons after 22:00.
 
The Sub-Committee considered the local
resident’s relevant representations concerning the licensing
objectives and in particular the impact of the variations with the
increased capacity to 350 persons. 
 
The Sub-Committee considered also that the
Fire Risk Assessment allowed for a capacity of 350 persons. The
Sub-Committee considered the architectural plan submitted with the
application.  The Sub-Committee noted
that the Premises Licence Holder now agreed to submit a dispersal
policy and this should serve to mitigate and address any licensing
concerns about capacity.
 
Having taken all of the above factors into
consideration the Sub-Committee  was satisfied that by granting this
variation of the premises licence with conditions, the licensing
objectives would be promoted.