The Licensing Sub-Committee of Croydon Council met on Tuesday, 9 January 2024, to consider two applications for premises licences. Both applications were granted, with conditions attached, following discussions and consideration of representations.

Application for Premises Licence at 3-7 Park Street, Croydon

The Sub-Committee granted a premises licence for 3-7 Park Street, Croydon, CR0 1YD. The licence permits the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises from Monday to Thursday, 12:00 pm to 1:00 am the following day, and Friday to Sunday, 12:00 pm to 3:00 am the following day. It also allows for regulated entertainment, including live and recorded music, during the same hours.

The applicant, Josephine Williams-Brown, agreed to several conditions to promote the licensing objectives. These include:

• The external area being used solely as a smoking area, with no drinks permitted and no music played.
• Amplified music, live or recorded, to be played only inside the premises.
• External windows and doors to be kept closed when music is played, except for access and egress.
• The licensee to manage patrons to minimise noise from entering and leaving the premises.
• Installation of a noise limiter, with the limit to be set by the Croydon Noise Pollution Team.
• Signage requesting customers to leave quietly.
• A minimum of six door supervisors, with at least two wearing body cameras, to be deployed on Friday, Saturday, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, bank holidays, and Sundays before a bank holiday from 9:00 pm until closing. One door supervisor will be stationed in the rear outside area at all times it is in use.
• A written dispersal policy to be in place and subject to review.
• A challenge 25 policy to be enforced.
• CCTV to be installed and records retained for 31 days.
• An incident register to be maintained.
• No alcohol or glassware to be permitted to leave the premises after 9:00 pm.
• An identification scanning device to be used at the entrance from 9:00 pm on specified evenings.

The Sub-Committee noted that while there were residential premises nearby, including the Whitgift Alms Houses, the applicant had agreed to conditions to mitigate potential noise nuisance. The applicant also stated intentions to use the premises for community workshops and a food bank on Mondays and Tuesdays. The Sub-Committee acknowledged the written representations from objectors but noted that the objectors were not present at the hearing. The decision to grant the licence was based on the belief that it would promote the licensing objectives, subject to the agreed conditions.

Application for Premises Licence at 1416-1418 London Road, Norbury

The Sub-Committee granted a premises licence for 1416-1418 London Road, Norbury, SW16 4BZ. The licence permits the provision of late-night refreshment from Monday to Sunday, 11:00 pm to 1:00 am the following day. For New Year's Eve, the hours will be extended from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am on New Year's Day.

The applicant, Dawat Restaurant Norbury Limited, confirmed that alcohol would not be sold at the premises and that the reference to a Challenge 25 policy in their application was an error. The applicant agreed to several conditions, including:

• Installation of a CCTV system, with recordings retained for a minimum of 31 days and made available to the Metropolitan Police, Licensing Authority, or other Responsible Authorities upon request.
• Staff to be familiar with all licence requirements and conditions.
• No noise or vibration to emanate from the premises that would cause a nuisance.
• Clear signage to be displayed at all exits requesting patrons to respect local residents and leave quietly.
• A challenge 25 scheme to be maintained for all deliveries, with staff requesting photographic identification from customers who appear under 25 attempting to purchase alcohol.
• Outside tables and chairs, permitted under a separate pavement licence, would be brought inside by 11:00 pm.

The Sub-Committee considered representations from a local residents' association. The applicant amended the New Year's Eve hours from the initially requested 5:00 am to 1:00 am, which addressed the objector's concerns. The applicant also confirmed that rubbish collection was arranged every other day and that they allowed nearby residents to use their bins to maintain the cleanliness of the rear area. The Sub-Committee noted that the pavement licence for the outside tables and chairs was separate from this application. The decision to grant the licence was made on the basis that it would promote the licensing objectives, subject to the agreed conditions.