The Licensing Sub-Committee (1) is scheduled to consider a variation to a premises licence for German Doner Kebab. The committee will also receive updates on membership and any declarations of interest.

German Doner Kebab Premises Licence Variation

The main item scheduled for discussion is an application to vary the premises licence for German Doner Kebab, located at 68-69 St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4JS. The application, submitted by West London Foods Ltd, seeks to extend the hours for late-night refreshment for both takeaway and delivery services. Currently, these hours are until midnight from Sunday to Thursday and 1 am on Friday and Saturday. The proposed variation would extend these hours to 3 am every day of the week. Additionally, the application requests to extend the overall opening hours of the premises to 3 am daily.

The premises is situated within the West End Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ), an area designated by Westminster City Council due to a high concentration of licensed premises and associated issues. The City of Westminster's Statement of Licensing Policy¹ outlines a presumption to refuse certain types of applications, including those for fast-food premises, that fall outside of core hours within this zone. The report pack indicates that the application has been assessed against the Council's Core Hours Policy (HRS1), Fast Food Policy (FFP1), and Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP1).

Representations have been received from the Metropolitan Police, Environmental Health, and the Licensing Authority. The Metropolitan Police have raised objections on the grounds of undermining the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder, public nuisance, and protecting children from harm. PC Adam Deweltz, representing the police, notes that the area already experiences significant crime, particularly theft and robbery, and that extending hours could encourage patrons to remain in the area for longer, increasing opportunities for crime and anti-social behaviour. The police also highlight the strain on their resources in the busy nighttime economy.

Environmental Health has also submitted a representation, citing concerns that the proposed hours would undermine the licensing objectives of preventing public nuisance and public safety. Stephanie Appiah-Anderson, representing Environmental Health, has indicated that the requested hours could lead to increased noise and littering.

The Licensing Authority, represented by Jessica Donovan, has also expressed concerns regarding the promotion of all four licensing objectives. They note that the application seeks hours in excess of the Council's core hours and that the West End CIZ has a presumption to refuse such applications unless genuinely exceptional circumstances are demonstrated. The Licensing Authority's policy states that applications within the West End CIZ for fast-food premises are generally refused unless they vary existing licence hours within core hours or reduce the overall capacity of the premises. The applicant is expected to demonstrate how their application will not add to the cumulative impact on the area.

The report pack includes details of the current premises licence, which permits late-night refreshment from 11 pm to midnight (Sunday to Thursday) and 11 pm to 1 am (Friday and Saturday), with overall opening hours from 5 am to midnight (Sunday to Thursday) and 5 am to 1 am (Friday and Saturday). The applicant has made some amendments during consultation, reducing the hours initially applied for and withdrawing seasonal variations. They have also agreed to a number of conditions with the Metropolitan Police and Environmental Health, which are detailed in the report pack. These include requirements for CCTV, an incident log, SIA licensed door supervisors, and keeping windows and external doors closed after 11 pm.