The Licensing Sub Committee B of Hackney Council met to discuss two applications for licensed premises in the borough.

The most significant item on the agenda was the application by Balls, a bar, restaurant and crazy golf venue on Old Street, to vary its licence. Balls, which currently has permission to open until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and at other times until midnight, was requesting permission to extend its opening hours until 02:00 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, until 04:00 on Fridays, Saturdays, Bank Holiday Sundays, and New Years Day. The application proposed no changes to the licence on Sundays, Mondays or Tuesdays.

Balls was also seeking permission to vary a condition of its licence that requires the venue's roof terrace to close at 22:00. Balls requested that this condition be changed to allow the roof terrace to remain open until 19:00.

The report pack includes an assessment of the application in the context of Hackney Council's Statement of Licensing Policy 2023-2028. This policy sets out how applications for new licences and variations should be assessed in order to meet the four licensing objectives, namely:

• the prevention of crime and disorder
• public safety
• the prevention of public nuisance
• the protection of children from harm.

The Statement of Licensing Policy designates some areas of Hackney as being subject to special scrutiny in light of the density of licensed premises. These areas are referred to in the report pack as 'Special Policy Areas', using terminology that has been superseded in the 2023-2028 policy, which refers to the same areas as 'Cumulative Impact Zones'¹. These zones are areas where:

there are valid concerns about the impact on the physical environment, the safety of visitors and residents, and the environmental disturbance to residents arising from the number, type and density of licensed premises is leading to a negative impact on the promotion of the licensing objectives.

Although Balls is located in the Shoreditch Cumulative Impact Zone, the report pack notes that:

the SPA / CIZ for Shoreditch is not currently in force

The application was supported by a cover letter from a solicitor, acting for Balls, which claims that:

the Applicant considers that the existing conditions will continue to fully promote the Licensing Objectives.

The report pack lists no representations made by members of the public for or against the application.

Also on the agenda was an application for a new premises licence for a business called Recyclable Vinyl at 1 Birbeck Mews.

Recyclable Vinyl's application included permission for the following licensable activities:

• plays
• films
• indoor sporting events
• boxing or wrestling entertainment
• live music
• recorded music
• performance of dance
• late night refreshment
• supply of alcohol

The report pack does not specify if any representations were received about this application.

The agenda for the meeting suggests that, if there had been time, the committee would also have discussed the council's policy on Temporary Event Notices as a standing item. However, the agenda makes it clear that no specific Temporary Event Notices were scheduled to be discussed.