The Licensing Sub-Committee met to consider a review of the premises license for Wood Grill, located at 123 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 8LJ. The committee decided to suspend the license for three months, modify its operating hours, and impose new conditions related to employment and audits.

Review of Wood Grill Premises License

The committee considered an application for a review of the premises license for Wood Grill, following multiple visits by the Central London Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) team. These visits, conducted between March 2022 and May 2023, found employees working illegally at the premises. The ICE team requested the revocation of the license due to the serious and repetitive nature of these incidents.

Arguments for Revocation/Suspension:

• Immigration Offences: Immigration Officer Leonard Johnson detailed three visits where illegal workers were found. On the first visit in March 2022, four individuals were arrested for working illegally, leading to a £30,000 fine for the premises. A second visit in February 2023 found two more illegal workers, one of whom had previously been arrested. This resulted in a further £40,000 fine. The third visit in May 2023, conducted with licensing officers, again found two illegal workers.
• Breach of Licensing Conditions: During the May 2023 visit, licensing officers identified breaches of conditions related to CCTV and the requirement to check employees' right to work.
• Disregard for the Law: The licensing authority, represented by Christina Perez, and the police, represented by Constable Dan Evans, both expressed concerns that the premises demonstrated a disregard for the law and licensing objectives. They stated they had lost confidence in the management's ability to operate responsibly.
• Repetitive Non-Compliance: Despite previous warnings, fines, and the addition of specific conditions to the license following the first incident, the premises continued to employ individuals without the right to work.

Arguments for Mitigation and Alternative Outcomes:

• Apology and Acknowledgment of Fault: Mr. Craig Bailey, the solicitor for the premises license holder, offered sincere apologies for the incidents, stating there was no excuse for the illegal working. He acknowledged that the business had given too many chances to a rogue manager who was subsequently removed.
• Financial Penalties: The premises had already incurred significant financial penalties, totalling £70,000 from the Home Office for the first two offences, with a third penalty anticipated.
• New Compliance System: The license holder had invested £6,000 to £8,000 in a new, bespoke compliance system developed by external compliance expert Michael Watson. This system ensures all employees' right to work is vetted and audited, with alerts for expiring documents and secure storage of documentation.
• Voluntary Reduction in Hours: The license holder proposed a voluntary reduction in operating hours, cutting 12 hours per week from Sunday to Wednesday (closing at 2 am instead of 5 am) and 6 hours per week from Thursday to Saturday (closing at 3 am instead of 5 am). This voluntary reduction was estimated to result in a loss of at least £20,000 in weekly trade.
• Bespoke Condition Proposal: Mr. Bailey proposed a condition for the license to include the implementation of the online compliance system, with audit records made available to authorized officers upon request, and independent audits conducted by third parties.

Decision:

The committee decided to:

1. Suspend the license for a period of three months.
2. Modify the conditions of the license:
   • Late night refreshment (indoors and outdoors) would be permitted Sunday to Wednesday from 11 pm to 2 am, and Tuesday to Saturday from 11 pm to 3 am.
3. Add new conditions to the license:
   • Mr. Ali Haida Gumas shall not be employed at the premises in any capacity or be involved in the management of licensed activities, directly or indirectly.
   • Right to work checks must be carried out, with at least 24 unannounced visits per year by an authorized officer, and copies of audit reports must be provided to an authorized officer.

These changes were to become operational with immediate effect. The committee noted that the applicant was entitled to appeal the decision to the Magistrates' Court within 21 days of notification.