The Licensing Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence to provide late night refreshment at Caroline’s Pizza, 151 Beehive Lane, Gants Hill. Two representations were received from Responsible Authorities and one representation was received from a member of the public.

Application for Caroline's Pizza, 151 Beehive Lane, Gants Hill

Ferozuddin Noori, the applicant, was seeking permission to serve late night refreshment from Caroline's Pizza between the hours of 23:00 and 05:00 every day.

The Metropolitan Police and the Licensing Enforcement Team submitted representations expressing concern about the application:

• Prevention of Crime and Disorder: Both representations raised concerns that the late opening hours could attract drunk customers, potentially leading to fights, public disorder, and excessive noise.
• Prevention of Public Nuisance: The Licensing Enforcement Team worried that, because the business was in a residential area, the late hours might disturb residents, particularly given that customers of these venues are often intoxicated and can be difficult to control . The Metropolitan Police agreed that late night noise could be a problem for neighbours.
• Protection of Children from Harm: The Licensing Enforcement Team were also concerned about the potential for harm to children, particularly given the likely presence of intoxicated customers.

The representation submitted by a member of the public echoed the concerns about public nuisance. They said they were concerned about the impact of late night noise on their family. They explained:

As a parent of four children, I am particularly worried that allowing late night operations would lead to increased noise and disturbance, which would affect our ability to sleep and maintain a peaceful living environment

The Licensing Enforcement Team noted that the applicant had not addressed several points in their application:

• The applicant had not demonstrated awareness that they were seeking to operate in a residential area.
• The applicant had not proposed conditions in their application that would mitigate the concerns raised.

In line with the council’s licensing policy, the Licensing Enforcement Team suggested that, should the licence be granted, it should be restricted to operating within the framework hours¹ for late night refreshment. They also suggested that several conditions be added to the licence, including:

• The premises must have a Home Office approved CCTV system in operation during opening hours.
• A minimum of two members of staff must be on duty between 23:00 and 00:00.
• Customers must book a table to be allowed entry.
• No noise from staff or machinery should be audible outside the premises.
• No unaccompanied children under 16 years old to be permitted after 19:00.
• All menu items must display calorie counts, nutritional information, and allergen information.

In an email exchange included in the report pack, the Licensing Enforcement Officer Mohammed Serdouk, suggested that the hours of operation be restricted to between 23:00 and 00:00. In response to a question from the applicant's agent, Mr Serdouk explained that this was because:

The premises is in a quiet residential area and 05:00 am terminal hour is not appropriate to the location.

The applicant’s agent, Nabeel Hasan, replied that:

The premises acts as a fast food takeaway only and as such only hosts 4 customers or so at a time.

The report pack also included details of the hearing procedure to be followed for licensing applications, which is set out in the hearing procedure licensing 2003 - responsible Authorities and Interested Parties document.