Waltham Forest Council's Licensing Sub-Committee met to consider an application for a new premises licence for East London Chicken and Pizza at 148 Hoe Street, Walthamstow. The committee refused to grant the licence.

Application from East London Chicken and Pizza

The sub-committee considered an application for a new premises licence for East London Chicken and Pizza. The applicant sought permission to sell late night refreshment until 1am Sunday to Thursday and until 3am on Friday and Saturday.

The premises is located within the council's Special Policy Area:

The designation of a special policy area is an evidence-based approach which seeks to address the negative cumulative impact of licensed premises in a particular area. ¹

There had been one representation from the Metropolitan Police and one from a local resident objecting to the application.

The sub-committee heard from the applicant's agent that the applicant had experience in the restaurant trade and had operated similar businesses. The agent stated that they were willing to accept a number of conditions on the licence.

The sub-committee heard from a representative of the Metropolitan Police who informed the sub-committee that the application was inconsistent with the council's licensing policy.

The sub-committee then heard from a local resident. The resident stated that they had serious concerns about the application. They said that they were concerned about the potential for noise and disturbance from the premises, particularly late at night.

The sub-committee deliberated for approximately 40 minutes before announcing its decision.

The Licensing Act 2003 requires licensing authorities to promote the four licensing objectives when making decisions about licensing applications:

• The prevention of crime and disorder
• Public safety
• The prevention of public nuisance
• The protection of children from harm

The sub-committee decided to refuse the application on the grounds that it was not satisfied that the licensing objectives would be upheld. In particular the sub-committee decided that:

...the applicant had not demonstrated that the premises would not add to the cumulative impact already being experienced in the area.

The applicant has 21 days to appeal the decision.