The Licensing Sub Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met on Thursday, 11 April 2024, to consider applications for a new premises licence and a variation of an existing premises licence. The committee granted the variation of the premises licence for the Captain Kidd public house, but with reduced extended hours compared to what was requested.

Captain Kidd Public House - Variation of Premises Licence

The committee considered an application to vary the premises licence for the Captain Kidd public house at 108 Wapping High Street, London E1W 2NA. The application sought to extend the hours for the sale of alcohol by one hour on Fridays and Saturdays, and by 30 minutes on Sundays, as well as extending New Year's Eve hours.

Representations were received from local residents concerned about potential public nuisance, specifically noise disturbance and anti-social behaviour, particularly during the dispersal of patrons from the premises. The applicant, represented by Sarah Taylor, argued that the extension was necessary due to the challenging economic climate facing the hospitality sector and the impact of increased working from home on trade. They highlighted that the pub is a traditional establishment without regulated entertainment like music or sports screens, and that they had proposed a robust set of conditions to mitigate any potential issues.

Duncan McLaughlin, a resident, voiced concerns that the current dispersal of patrons from the pub was ineffective, leading to noise and anti-social behaviour in the narrow street. He argued that extending the hours would exacerbate these issues, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, leading to residents losing an hour of sleep. While acknowledging the applicant's proposed conditions, Mr. McLaughlin expressed doubt about their effectiveness in managing dispersal.

The Sub-Committee noted that there were no conditions on the existing licence. They also heard that the premises had a capacity of 100 people and that the beer garden, while secluded, could still contribute to noise travelling upwards and outwards.

Decision: The Sub-Committee decided to grant the application in part. The sale of alcohol was permitted from 11:00 hrs to 23:30 hrs on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs on Sundays. The non-standard timings for New Year's Eve were also granted. A total of 12 conditions were attached to the licence, including requirements for a comprehensive CCTV system, an incident log, prominent notices requesting patrons to leave quietly, a direct telephone number for the manager to be available to residents, and a written dispersal policy.

Focaccia Mia (Ida's Kitchen) - New Premises Licence

The committee noted that the application for a new premises licence for Focaccia Mia (Ida's Kitchen) at Arch 271, Poyser Street, London, E2 9RF, had been resolved prior to the meeting, and all objections had been withdrawn.

Extension of Decision Deadlines

The Sub-Committee agreed to extend the decision deadlines for several licensing applications until 30 June 2024. These applications included:

• Lucia's Unit 5007, Queen's Yard, 43 White Horse Lane
• Carwash, 1 Quaker Street, London E1 6SZ
• The Local Café, 84 St Stephen's Road, London E3 5JL
• Studio Spaces Ltd, 110 Pennington Street, London E1W 2BB
• Victoria Park Market, Night Walk, Approach Road / Gore Road, London E3 5TB
• Burgers LDN, 141 Leman Street, E1 8EY
• Sainsbury's, 409-413 Mile End Road, E3 4PB