The Licensing Sub-Committee of Ealing Council was scheduled to consider a new premises licence application for Northfield Food & Wine. The meeting's agenda also included procedural guidance for the committee.

New Premises Licence for Northfield Food & Wine

The committee was scheduled to consider a new premises licence application for Northfield Food & Wine, located at 16 Northfield Avenue, West Ealing, W13 9RJ. The application was made by Mr Satnam Singh Khatri for the supply of alcohol for off-licence sales, with proposed opening hours from 08:00 to 23:30 Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 23:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, and 11:00 to 23:00 on Sundays. The premises' overall opening hours were proposed to be from 08:00 to 23:30 daily.

The report pack indicated that one representation objecting to the application had been received from local residents in the form of a petition. This representation raised concerns regarding the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. The petition highlighted worries about increased anti-social behaviour, street drinking, noise disturbance, littering, and the risks of underage and proxy sales, given the premises' location in a predominantly residential area.

The report also detailed conditions that had been agreed between the applicant and the Walpole Residents' Association on 12 March 2026. These included:

• Spirits to be kept behind the counter and not available for customer self-service.
• Alcohol to be kept behind shutters or in locked refrigerators outside licensable hours.

Additionally, conditions were agreed between the applicant and the Police on 20 March 2026:

• No disposable cups to be kept behind the till area, and alcohol not to be decanted into them for customers to take away.
• Alcohol must be stored behind shutters when the premises are open but outside of licensed hours.

The committee was asked to consider the application, the operating schedule, any relevant representations, and the Council's Statement of Licensing Policy¹ in respect of the proposals. The possible outcomes for the committee were to grant the application as applied for, grant it with additional or modified conditions, exclude any licensable activities, refuse to specify a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), or reject the application entirely.

The Council's Statement of Licensing Policy, adopted in July 2025, outlines core hours for the supply of alcohol. For premises offering off-sales of alcohol, the core hours are Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 23:30, and Friday to Saturday, Bank Holiday Sunday from 10:00 to 00:00 (midnight), and other Sundays from 11:00 to 23:30. Applications outside these core hours are considered on their own merit, taking into account factors such as proximity to residential accommodation and potential noise nuisance.

Panel Procedure Guidance Note

The committee was also scheduled to consider the Panel Procedure Guidance Note², which outlines the procedures to be followed during Licensing Sub-Committee hearings. This guidance covers aspects such as representation by parties, the order of proceedings including the presentation of applications, representations, and summing up, and the process for reaching and issuing decisions.