The Licensing Sub-Committee of Redbridge Council was scheduled to discuss the procedure for licensing hearings and consider an application for a premises licence for Sky Coffee Lounge Limited. The meeting's agenda also included the potential exclusion of the public for certain discussions.

Procedure for Licensing Hearings

The committee was scheduled to review the established procedure for conducting licensing hearings. This procedure outlines the steps to be followed, including the presentation of factual summaries by licensing authority officers, the order of evidence presentation from applicants, responsible authorities, and interested parties, and the process for questioning. The procedure also details how summing up will occur and the subsequent private decision-making process by the Sub-Committee, with official notice of decisions to be sent within five working days.

Application for a Premises Licence: Sky Coffee Lounge Limited

A significant item on the agenda was the application for a premises licence for Sky Coffee Lounge Limited, formerly known as Cocoa Latte, located at 249-251 Beehive Lane, Gants Hill, Ilford. The report pack indicated that the applicant sought to provide a range of licensable activities, including the supply of alcohol, provision of live and recorded music, and late-night refreshment. The proposed operating hours extended beyond the council's stated Framework Hours for restaurants and cafes in residential areas.

The report pack detailed that representations had been received from two Responsible Authorities: the Metropolitan Police Licensing Team and the Redbridge Licensing Enforcement Team. Additionally, five other individuals had submitted representations expressing concerns about the potential impact of the application on one or more of the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

The Metropolitan Police objected on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance, stating that the applicant had not given serious consideration to the Council's Statement of Licensing Policy. They highlighted that the requested hours were significantly beyond the Framework Hours for restaurants and cafes in residential areas and that the operating schedule was insufficient.

The Redbridge Licensing Enforcement Team also raised concerns that all four licensing objectives would be undermined. They noted the late hours sought were not fitting for a highly residential area and exceeded the council's Statement of Licensing Policy's Framework Hours. They also considered the operating schedule to be insufficient.

The report pack included redacted representations from five other persons who also raised concerns regarding the licensing objectives.

The report pack outlined potential recommendations for the Licensing Sub-Committee, which included the options to grant the application, grant it with additional conditions, grant it in part only with conditions, or reject the application entirely. The decision was to be notified within five working days of the meeting.

The report pack also included appendices detailing the premises licence application form, site plans, Google Maps views, representations from the Metropolitan Police and the Redbridge Licensing Enforcement Team, redacted representations from other persons, and an extract from the Redbridge Statement of Licensing Policy concerning specific conditions for restaurants, cafes, and coffee houses.