The Licensing Sub-Committee granted a new premises licence for Harvest Haven, a supermarket on Heath Road in Twickenham, with restricted alcohol sales hours and numerous conditions. The committee also approved the minutes from previous meetings and noted the procedure for hearings.

Harvest Haven Premises Licence Application

The Licensing Sub-Committee granted a new premises licence for Harvest Haven, located at 17 Heath Road, Twickenham, TW1 4AW. The application, which was opposed by the Metropolitan Police and local residents, sought permission to sell alcohol for off-premises consumption seven days a week.

The committee decided to grant the licence with several conditions, significantly reducing the proposed alcohol sales hours. The original application proposed sales from 8:00 am to 2:00 am daily, but the licence was granted for sales between 8:00 am and 11:00 pm. The premises will be open to the public 24 hours a day.

The decision was made after careful consideration of written and oral evidence, including representations from the Metropolitan Police, who initially objected due to concerns about the premises being located within the Twickenham Town Centre Cumulative Impact Zone. The police's objection was withdrawn after the applicant agreed to a revised set of conditions. These conditions aim to promote the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

Key conditions imposed on the licence include:

• Alcohol Sales Hours: Restricted to 8:00 am to 11:00 pm daily.
• Display of Alcohol: Alcohol will be displayed away from entrances and exits, with spirits and pre-mixed alcoholic beverages to be stored behind the counter. No single cans or bottles of beer, cider, or lager will be sold.
• Age Verification: A Challenge 25 policy will be enforced, requiring staff to ask for photographic identification from anyone appearing under 25 attempting to purchase alcohol.
• CCTV: A comprehensive CCTV system will be installed and maintained, with recordings stored for a minimum of 31 days and made available to the police upon request.
• Staff Training: Staff will receive regular training on age verification and responsible alcohol sales.
• Deliveries: There will be no deliveries of alcohol to customers off the premises. However, an exemption was made for deliveries of fresh fruit and vegetables, with hours to be agreed with the Licensing Officer.
• Strength of Alcohol: No beers, lagers, or ciders with an alcoholic strength above 6.5% ABV will be sold.
• Shop Floor Display: No more than 20% of the shop floor will be used for the display of alcohol.
• Event Days: The premises must comply with any reasonable closure requests made by the police on event days at Twickenham Stadium, which has an expected attendance of 30,000+.

The Sub-Committee noted that while residents had raised concerns about potential public nuisance and crime and disorder, the agreed conditions, particularly the reduction in alcohol sales hours and the supermarket's primary function as a food retailer, were deemed sufficient to mitigate these risks. The decision was made in accordance with the Licensing Act 2003 and the Council's Statement of Licensing Policy.

Minutes of Previous Meetings

The Sub-Committee also formally agreed and authorised the Chair to sign the minutes from the Licensing Sub-Committee hearings held on 21 January 2025 and 24 January 2025. These minutes covered decisions made regarding applications for Brusketta UK Ltd and Hotel Chocolat, respectively.