The Licensing Sub-Committee of Croydon Council met on Tuesday, 24 September 2024, to consider an application for a premises licence. The committee granted the application for a premises licence at 1465 London Road, Norbury, SW16 4AQ, subject to agreed conditions.

Application for Premises Licence at 1465 London Road, Norbury

The Sub-Committee considered an application for a premises licence for Kaspa's Desserts Norbury, located at 1465 London Road, Norbury, London SW16 4AQ. The application sought permission for the provision of late-night refreshment from Monday to Sunday, between 11:00 PM and 2:00 AM.

The application was subject to representations from the Scots Estate (Norbury) Residents' Association (SERA), who raised concerns about potential noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour due to the extended hours, particularly from delivery drivers. SERA suggested a cut-off time of 11:00 PM on weekdays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. They also raised concerns about waste management and the potential for increased litter.

The applicant's representative, Mohammed Bashir, explained that the business had operated at the premises for over 15 years and that the requested hours were necessary to generate revenue, especially given a recent downturn in the dessert industry. He stated that some of their other outlets operated with even later delivery hours. Mr. Bashir confirmed that the premises did not play live music and that any background music would be gradually turned down and eventually switched off. He also assured the committee that measures, including barriers, would be in place to manage queues of more than three people for takeaway orders.

The Sub-Committee noted that the Council's Pollution Team had not raised any objections and that there had been no recent complaints regarding the current operation of the premises. They also acknowledged that issues such as traffic management and parking on neighbouring streets were outside the remit of the Licensing Act 2003.

After deliberation, the Sub-Committee resolved to grant the premises licence. This decision was made subject to the conditions agreed with the Police Licensing Officer, as detailed in Appendix A2 of the report¹. The Sub-Committee considered the concerns raised by SERA but found that the proposed conditions, along with the applicant's assurances regarding queue management and noise control, were sufficient to promote the licensing objectives. They noted that while they had concerns about potential public nuisance, the statutory guidance indicated that issues beyond the immediate vicinity of the premises were a matter of individual responsibility.