The Licensing Sub-Committee of Richmond upon Thames Council met on Tuesday 23 January 2024 to consider an application for a new premises licence for The Townhouse, a nail and beauty salon. The committee granted the licence with amended hours and a comprehensive set of conditions. The meeting also saw the rejection of an application to vary a condition for KFC on Kew Road.

The Townhouse Premises Licence Application

The Licensing Sub-Committee granted a new premises licence for The Townhouse, located at 14 The Quadrant, Richmond, TW9 1BP, a premium nail salon and retail store. The licence allows for the ancillary sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises.

The decision to grant the licence was made after careful consideration of written and oral evidence, including representations from the applicant, the Metropolitan Police Authority, the Trading Standards Authority, and local resident groups, the Richmond Society and the Friends of Richmond Green (FoRG).

The committee agreed to grant the licence with the following hours:

• Sale of Alcohol (on the premises): Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 21:00
• Hours premises are open to the public: Monday to Sunday, 07:00 to 21:30

A significant number of conditions were attached to the licence to promote the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. These included:

• Licensable activities being ancillary to the main function of the premises.
• Alcohol sales limited to customers receiving or waiting for treatments.
• Staff training in age-restricted sales and the operation of a Challenge 25 proof of age scheme.
• Maintenance of a comprehensive CCTV system.
• Prohibition of alcohol sales for consumption off the premises and self-service of alcohol.
• An incident log to be kept and made available to the police and licensing authority.
• Restrictions on the strength of beers and ciders sold (no more than 5% ABV).
• No vertical drinking inside the premises, except for pre-booked private events.
• Mandatory Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) training for customer-facing staff.
• Basic Counter Terrorism Awareness Training for staff.
• Duty managers having access to the ProtectUK App.
• Internal risk assessments prior to accepting bookings for private events.
• Refresher training for staff on age checks at least every three months.
• Visual or aural reminders at points of sale for age checks.

The premises is located within the Richmond Town Centre Cumulative Impact Area (CIA), which means applications are normally refused unless the applicant can demonstrate no negative cumulative impact. The Sub-Committee was satisfied that The Townhouse, with its limited customer capacity (maximum of 25 persons) and the comprehensive conditions, would not add to the cumulative impact. The committee noted that the business was not alcohol-led and that alcohol would only be supplied to those receiving or waiting for treatments.

The Richmond Society and the Friends of Richmond Green had raised objections, primarily concerning public nuisance and the potential strain on the CIA. FoRG had proposed amendments to the hours for alcohol sales and specific conditions, such as limiting alcohol to unfortified wine and restricting sales to between 10:00 and 20:00 on Saturdays and 11:00 to 17:00 on Sundays. However, the Sub-Committee considered these amendments to be too prescriptive and not proportionate to the nature of the business. The committee also noted its powers to review the licence should any problems arise.

KFC on Kew Road - Variation of Licence Rejected

The Licensing Sub-Committee rejected an application to vary a condition at the KFC premises located at 21-23 Kew Road, Richmond, TW9 2NQ. The application sought to remove the mandatory condition requiring at least one SIA registered door supervisor to be on duty from 10 pm until close of business whenever the premises was open later than 11 pm, replacing it with a condition that the deployment of SIA door supervisors would be in accordance with the premises' risk assessment.

The application was opposed by the Friends of Richmond Green and the Richmond Society. Both objectors argued that the removal of the SIA door supervisor condition would negatively impact the licensing objectives, particularly the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance, especially given the premises' location within the Cumulative Impact Zone and opposite Richmond train and tube station.

The Sub-Committee's decision to reject the variation was based on the premises' location within a high-risk area, particularly late at night. They noted that the clientele of KFC were likely to be younger and potentially influenced by alcohol consumption elsewhere, increasing the risk of confrontations. The committee also found the applicant's risk assessment process to be opaque and reactive, rather than proactive, and stated that licensing objectives require a focus on the prevention of crime and disorder, not just responding to it. The Sub-Committee concluded that removing the SIA door supervisor condition would result in a failure to manage the premises and its entrance at critical times, thereby negatively impacting the Cumulative Impact Policy.