The Alcohol & Gambling Licensing Sub-Committee of West Northamptonshire Council met on Wednesday 10 June 2026. The primary item scheduled for discussion was a new premises licence application for Encore, located at 34-38 Bridge Street, Northampton. The meeting also included procedural items such as the appointment of a chairman and declarations of interest.

New Premises Licence Application for Encore

The sub-committee was scheduled to consider a new premises licence application for Encore, located at 34-38 Bridge Street, Northampton, NN1 1PA. The application, submitted by Nicky Morrison, sought to allow for regulated entertainment, late-night refreshment, and the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises.

The report pack indicated that the premises had a history of operating under a premises licence granted in November 2005, which permitted recorded and live music, as well as on and off-sales of alcohol, with extended hours until 4:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays. The new application sought to introduce indoor sporting events and extend the hours for live and recorded music, as well as on-sales of alcohol, with proposed closing times of 4:00 am on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Several representations were received regarding this application. The Police agreed to an amendment to the operating schedule, detailed in Appendix E of the public reports pack¹. However, West Northamptonshire Council's Environmental Protection Team submitted a relevant representation, raising concerns about potential noise nuisance. This concern was echoed by four members of the public, who also submitted relevant representations. The Environmental Health representation highlighted a history of noise complaints from the venue, including a Community Protection Warning Notice served on the previous operator, Replay Northampton, in August 2025. Further complaints had been received regarding loud amplified music, particularly with a heavy bass element, and noise from customers in the alleyway. Officers from the Environmental Protection Team had conducted out-of-hours noise monitoring and concluded that the noise amounted to a statutory nuisance, leading to the service of Abatement Notices on the applicant and associated companies on 28 April 2026.

The report pack detailed the licensing objectives that the sub-committee must consider: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. The primary issue identified was the concern around potential noise nuisance and its impact on the licensing objective of preventing public nuisance. The report outlined the steps the sub-committee could take, including granting the licence with conditions, excluding licensable activities, refusing to specify a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), or rejecting the application entirely.

The report also included extensive legal comments regarding the determination of such applications, emphasising the need to promote the licensing objectives, give appropriate weight to representations, and ensure that any conditions attached to licences are tailored to the individual circumstances of the premises. The statutory guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 was referenced extensively, particularly concerning the prevention of public nuisance and the importance of evidence-based, proportionate, and justified decisions.

The applicant, Nicky Morrison, had proposed operating schedule conditions aimed at promoting the four licensing objectives, including working with the police, using an ID scanning system for public safety, and addressing noise complaints by downgrading the sound system and contacting a noise consultant. However, the Environmental Protection Team's representation indicated that despite communication, there was no apparent evidence that pragmatic steps had been taken to address the noise sources.

The report also noted that the applicant had previously submitted a premises licence application in January 2026 which was not successful due to a failure to comply with statutory newspaper advertisement requirements. This meant that for scheduled events, Temporary Event Notices (TENs) would be required. The applicant had indicated an intention to relocate to new premises in approximately three months, which the Environmental Protection Team considered relevant to their assessment of the likelihood of the applicant undertaking costly noise mitigation measures.