The Licensing Sub-Committee (3) of Westminster Council met on Thursday 8 February 2024 to determine three licensing applications. The committee granted a new premises licence for Townhouse, a nail and beauty salon, allowing the sale of alcohol ancillary to its primary services. However, the application for a new premises licence for 61 Kingly Street, a convenience store, was refused due to the applicant's history of non-compliance and concerns about cumulative impact. The committee also approved a variation to the premises licence for Shakespeare's Head Public House, removing outdated conditions and updating its operating schedule.

Townhouse, 129 Victoria Street, SW1E 6RD

The committee granted a new premises licence for Townhouse, a nail and beauty salon located at 129 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6RD. The licence permits the sale of alcohol for on-premises consumption between 09:00 and 21:00 daily, with the premises closing at 21:30. The sale of alcohol will be ancillary to the main business of the salon and limited to customers receiving or waiting for treatments. This decision aligns with the council's Shops Policy (SHP1), which supports shops offering ancillary licensable activities.

The application had initially received one representation from a local resident concerned about potential noise, anti-social behaviour, and the area's existing alcohol-related issues. The applicant addressed these concerns by offering several conditions, including limiting alcohol sales to 21:00, prohibiting waste collection or deliveries between 21:30 and 08:00, and ensuring customers only use the main entrance on Victoria Street, except in emergencies. The committee also added a condition requiring a direct telephone number for the manager to be publicly available to residents and businesses in the vicinity.

61 Kingly Street, W1B 5QL

The application for a new premises licence for 61 Kingly Street, W1B 5QL, to operate as a convenience store selling alcohol for off-premises consumption, was refused. The committee cited the applicant's history of non-compliance with previous licence conditions at the premises, which led to the surrender of the licence in February 2023.

Multiple representations were received from the Licensing Authority, Environmental Health Service, the Metropolitan Police Service, and The Soho Society. Key concerns included the proposed hours extending beyond Westminster's core hours for off-licences, the premises' location within the West End Cumulative Impact Area (CIZ), and the potential adverse impact on the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder, public nuisance, and protecting children from harm. The Soho Society specifically highlighted the proliferation of licensed premises in Soho and the associated issues of street drinking and anti-social behaviour, supported by survey data indicating significant noise disturbance and its impact on residents' quality of life.

The committee expressed a lack of confidence that the applicant would comply with licence conditions or promote the licensing objectives, noting that the applicant had not demonstrated sufficient learning from past mistakes. The refusal was based on the belief that granting the licence would adversely affect cumulative impact and was contrary to policy CIP1.

Shakespeare's Head Public House, 29 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7HZ

The committee granted the variation of the premises licence for Shakespeare's Head Public House, located at 29 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7HZ. The variation involved removing all existing conditions from Annex 3 (conditions 10 to 16) and replacing them with a new operating schedule. Additionally, the application sought to allow licensable activities, including live music and the sale of alcohol, to commence at 10:00 on Sundays, a change from the current midday start time.

The Licensing Authority initially raised concerns about the proposed Sunday opening hours and the potential impact on cumulative impact within the West End CIZ. However, following the applicant's amendment to start Sunday activities at 11:00, the Licensing Authority withdrew its representation. Environmental Health also withdrew its representation after agreed conditions were met.

The Soho Society maintained its objection, arguing that extending Sunday hours would increase cumulative impact and fail to promote licensing objectives, particularly given the West End CIZ policies. They also raised concerns about the removal of Condition 10, which previously required alcohol sales to be ancillary to table meals in the final hour of trading.

The committee granted the variation, noting that the applicant had proactively identified and sought to rectify an inadvertent breach of the previous Condition 10. They also acknowledged that the premises had not been associated with significant problems despite this breach. The committee considered the proposed conditions, agreed with responsible authorities, to provide further protections and promote licensing objectives. The withdrawal of the earlier Sunday opening hour proposal was welcomed by the Soho Society. The committee also decided to retain the condition regarding unaccompanied children under 14 being off the premises by 9:30 pm, except when taking a table meal.