The Licensing (2003 Act) Sub-Committee of Newham Council met on Wednesday 7th February 2024 to consider a new premises licence application for Wendy's at 52 Broadway, E15 1NG. The committee granted the application, imposing a number of additional conditions to promote the licensing objectives.

New Premises Licence for Wendy's

The Sub-Committee granted a new premises licence for Wendy's, located at 52 Broadway, E15 1NG, in Stratford. The application was for the provision of late-night refreshments, with proposed hours from Sunday to Thursday between 23:00 and 00:00, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 23:00 to 02:00 the following day.

The Metropolitan Police Licensing Team had made representations against the application, citing concerns regarding the prevention of crime and disorder, public nuisance, and public safety. They highlighted that late-night refreshment venues can be linked to alcohol-fuelled crime and that the area around the premises has a high footfall of pedestrians in the early hours. The police requested specific conditions to be attached to the licence, including prohibitions on unaccompanied children under 16 after 23:00 and under 18 after midnight, to promote public safety.

Following a short adjournment, the police and the applicant, Wendy's Restaurant of U.K Limited, agreed on a set of conditions. The Sub-Committee found these agreed conditions to be necessary for the promotion of the four licensing objectives.

The granted licence includes the following conditions in addition to the operating schedule:

• CCTV: A fully maintained CCTV system must be operational, covering all public areas and the immediate exterior of the premises. Recordings must be retained for at least 31 days and be available to the Police or Council officers upon request. Staff must be trained in its use, and signs must be displayed to inform customers of its operation. Weekly checks of the system are required, with a logbook maintained.
• Incident Book: An electronic record of all incidents must be kept, completed no later than the close of business on the day of the incident, and retained at the premises for inspection.
• Prohibition of Alcohol: No alcohol is to be brought onto the premises for consumption, either inside or while waiting for a takeaway order.
• Security / Clearing the Premises: A minimum of one SIA registered security officer must be on duty from 21:00 until the premises is cleared of the public on Fridays and Saturdays. On other days, security officers are at the licence holder's discretion. Security staff must wear their SIA badges prominently and their duty times recorded. The premises must be cleared of the public and delivery riders/drivers by 00:00 on Sunday-Thursday and by 02:00 on Friday and Saturday.
• Children / Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement: Unaccompanied children under 16 will not be permitted in the premises after 22:00, and children under 18 will not be permitted after 00:00. The licence holder has a duty of care to safeguard vulnerable persons. Staff must undertake conflict management and children vulnerability training every six months, with records available for inspection.
• Match Day Condition: If instructed by the Police Matchday Commander, the premises must close three hours before and reopen three hours after a match.
• Litter: Staff must conduct proactive litter patrols outside the premises at least twice during opening hours, and specifically at the end of trading, to ensure the immediate vicinity is kept clear of litter associated with the premises.

The Sub-Committee noted the guidance from the Secretary of State under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003, which states that responsible authorities are experts in their respective fields and often the primary source of advice for the licensing authority.

The meeting was attended by Councillor Tonii Wilson (Chair), Councillors Jane Lofthouse and Pushpa Makwana. Officers present included Steve Jackson, Colin Hunt, Mandeep Mehat, Ken Foot, and Umair Malik. Mehrunnisa Hussain was the contact for the meeting. No declarations of interest were made by the committee members. The procedure for the hearing was confirmed by the Chair.