The Licensing Sub-Committee of Southwark Council was scheduled to convene on Tuesday 23 December 2014 to discuss a review of a premises licence. The primary focus of the meeting was a report concerning Food Link, located at 98-100 Wyndham Road, London SE5 0UB.

Review of Premises Licence for Food Link, The Windmill

The meeting was scheduled to consider an application made by the Metropolitan Police for a review of the premises licence for Food Link, The Windmill, located at 98-100 Wyndham Road, London SE5 0UB. The grounds for this review, as detailed in the report pack, relate to concerns regarding the promotion of the licensing objectives, specifically the prevention of crime and disorder.

The report pack indicated that the Metropolitan Police had applied for a summary review of the licence due to the premises being associated with serious crime or serious disorder. This application was supported by a certificate from a senior police officer. The grounds for the review included an incident on 19 November 2014, which involved a serious assault at the premises, resulting in a member of staff receiving stab wounds. The report highlighted alleged breaches of licence conditions, including the failure to operate with window service only between 24:00 and 06:00, and the deletion of CCTV footage. There was also a representation from the council's Trading Standards department, supporting the review application due to concerns about duty evasion fraud, with 62 bottles of alcohol seized as part of an investigation.

The report pack also detailed the operating history of the premises, noting previous visits and warning letters issued to the licence holder for non-compliance with licence conditions, such as the absence of a personal licence holder on the premises and the failure to use the designated window service during late hours.

The Licensing Act 2003¹ was referenced, outlining the four licensing objectives that licensing authorities must promote: the prevention of crime and disorder, the promotion of public safety, the prevention of nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. The report also referred to Southwark Council's Statement of Licensing Policy², which guides the sub-committee's decision-making process.

The report pack outlined the potential steps the sub-committee could take if it considered them appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives. These steps include modifying licence conditions, excluding licensable activities, removing the designated premises supervisor, suspending the licence for a period not exceeding three months, or revoking the licence. The report also detailed the principles for making a determination, emphasising that decisions must be based on evidence and be proportionate to the promotion of the licensing objectives.

The meeting was also scheduled to address standard procedural items, including apologies for absence, confirmation of voting members, notification of urgent business, and the disclosure of interests.