The Licensing Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider a review of a premises licence for St Peters News Food And Wine. The committee was also due to consider the council's procedure for licensing hearings.

Review of Premises Licence for St Peters News Food And Wine

The meeting was scheduled to consider an application for a review of the premises licence for St Peters News Food And Wine, located at 145 Epsom Road, Sutton, SM3 9EY. The review application was submitted by the Lead Officer of Trading Standards for the London Borough of Sutton.

The grounds for the review were stated as the alleged failure of the premises licence holder to uphold the licensing objective of The protection of children from harm. Specific concerns detailed in the application included the failure of a test purchase of alcohol and allegations of underage sales, as well as the possession of illicit goods, such as non-duty paid alcohol and non-compliant vapes.

The report pack indicated that the premises currently holds a licence originally granted in 2005 and transferred to the existing licence holder in 2022. The application for review was made on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, and the protection of children from harm.

Supporting evidence provided by the applicant included details of intelligence received by Sutton Trading Standards, photographs of seized goods from the premises, and copies of advice and warning letters sent to the premises. The report noted that no representations were received from Responsible Authorities or from Other Persons following the public notice of the review application.

The Licensing Sub-Committee was to consider the application under Section 51 of the Licensing Act 2003. The potential steps the Sub-Committee could take included taking no further action, modifying the conditions of the licence, excluding a licensable activity, removing the designated premises supervisor, suspending the licence for up to three months, or revoking the licence.

Licensing Sub-Committee - Hearings Procedure

The committee was also scheduled to consider the council's procedure for licensing hearings. This procedure note outlines how the Licensing Committee and its Sub-Committees manage their business in an efficient, fair, and transparent manner, specifically for hearings under the Licensing Act 2003. It details the process for dealing with licensing applications, how representations are handled, and the organisation of Sub-Committee meetings. The procedure also covers the rights of parties to a hearing, the process for making decisions, and the right to appeal.