The Licensing Sub-Committee of Redbridge Council was scheduled to consider an application to vary a premises licence for Noir, a restaurant and shisha lounge located at 190-192 George Lane, South Woodford, London, E18 1AY. The meeting's agenda also included the procedure for licensing hearings.

Application to Vary Premises Licence: Noir

The primary item scheduled for discussion was an application to vary the premises licence for Noir, located at 190-192 George Lane, South Woodford, London, E18 1AY. The application, submitted by Nauman Hameed, director of Fides HN Limited, sought to extend the hours for recorded music and late-night refreshment on Fridays and Saturdays until 2:00 AM, and to extend the premises' opening hours to 2:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. The application also proposed the removal of the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) and the sale of alcohol from the licence.

The report pack indicated that representations had been received from the London Borough of Redbridge Licensing Enforcement Team, the Metropolitan Police Service Licensing Team, and Councillor Beverley Brewer, a Ward Councillor for South Woodford.

The Licensing Enforcement Team raised concerns that the proposed extended hours would undermine the licensing objectives of preventing public nuisance and protecting children from harm. They noted that the premises is located in a mixed retail and residential area, with properties above and opposite the venue, and that extended hours could lead to noise disturbances for residents. Concerns were also raised about children potentially being exposed to shisha smoking. The team recommended that the application be refused.

The Metropolitan Police Service also objected to the application on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder and preventing public nuisance. They highlighted that the premises is located within the South Woodford Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ), and that the applicant had not demonstrated exceptional circumstances to justify the extended hours, which would likely exacerbate existing issues in the area. The police requested that the sub-committee reject the application based on the CIZ policy.

Councillor Beverley Brewer's representation echoed these concerns, stating that a 2:00 AM licence would be completely unacceptable to local residents and would cause excessive noise pollution very late at night for local families. She argued that previous occupants had operated successfully without such late hours.

The report pack also detailed the procedure for licensing hearings, outlining the steps the sub-committee would follow when considering the application, including the order of presenting evidence and summing up arguments.

The report pack included additional information from the Licensing Enforcement Service, such as a witness statement from Enforcement Officer Valerie Hills regarding alleged breaches of smoking regulations, and a warning letter sent to the premises for failing to prevent smoking in a smoke-free place. Pictures of the shisha area were also provided.

The sub-committee was presented with several options for its decision: to grant the application in whole, to grant it with modifications or new conditions, to grant it in part only, or to reject the application entirely. The decision was to be notified within five working days of the meeting.