The Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Sub-Committee of Brent Council was scheduled to consider a single application for a new premises licence. The application was for the API AVI Convenience Store, located at 383 Church Lane, NW9 8JB, to sell alcohol for off-premises consumption between 7 am and 11 pm daily.

Application for a New Premises Licence: API AVI Convenience Store

The primary item on the agenda was an application by Mr Thamotharampillai Tharmarasa for a new premises licence for the API AVI Convenience Store at 383 Church Lane, London, NW9 8JB. The applicant sought permission to sell alcohol from 7 am to 11 pm, seven days a week.

The report pack indicated that this application fell within the Kingsbury Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ) ¹. The council's policy for CIZs creates a presumption against granting new licences or variations that increase the scope for alcohol sales, unless the applicant can demonstrate that the licence will not negatively impact the licensing objectives.

Representations were received from several parties, including the Police, the Licensing Officer, a Ward Councillor, and a local resident. These representations raised concerns regarding the potential impact on the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

The Police noted the premises' history, including a previous premises licence revocation in July 2025 following drug-related arrests and a closure order. They expressed concerns that the application, particularly within a CIZ, could be detrimental to the licensing objectives. The Police suggested a comprehensive list of conditions that, if attached to the licence, might mitigate their concerns and potentially lead to the withdrawal of their representations. These proposed conditions included stringent CCTV requirements, a robust refusals policy, staff training, restrictions on the types and sizes of alcohol sold, and the permanent sealing of any internal access between the commercial area and residential accommodation above.

Councillor Amer Agha, the Labour Party councillor for Welsh Harp Ward, objected to the application, citing existing issues with street drinking and anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the area. Councillor Agha expressed concerns about public nuisance, noise, litter, and safety, particularly in proximity to schools and homes, and believed the new licence would exacerbate these problems.

A representation from a local resident also requested the refusal of the licence, highlighting the premises' long and serious history of licensing breaches under previous operators, including the revocation of a licence due to undermining all licensing objectives. The resident also pointed to past issues of congregation, noise, littering, alcohol-related ASB, and concerns about public safety due to heavy pedestrian traffic and a nearby bus stop. The resident also raised concerns about the protection of children from harm, given the proximity to a primary school and tuition centres, and the past behaviour not being compatible with safeguarding children. As a fallback position, if the licence were to be granted, the resident proposed a detailed set of conditions, including restrictions on single cans and high-strength alcohol, enhanced CCTV, a refusals and incident log, a Challenge 25 policy, and limitations on alcohol sales hours and advertising.

The applicant, Mr Thamotharampillai Tharmarasa, stated that he had no involvement in the previous issues at the premises and had prior retail experience and a personal licence. The applicant's agent indicated that dialogue with the Police had been positive and that the proposed operating schedule was comprehensive.

The report pack outlined the steps the Sub-Committee could take when determining the application, which included granting the licence, excluding licensable activities, refusing to specify a designated premises supervisor, or rejecting the application entirely.