The Lambeth Council Licensing Sub-Committee met to consider a new premises licence for Walcott Stores and a variation application for Supercute. The committee granted the licence for Walcott Stores subject to amended hours and additional conditions. A decision on the Supercute application was deferred for up to five working days.

Walcott Stores - 68 Walcot Square

The sub-committee approved the application for a new premises licence for Walcott Stores, located at 68 Walcot Square. The approved hours of operation are 11:00 to 16:00, Sunday to Wednesday, and 11:00 to 20:30, Thursday to Saturday.

Millie Youngs, director of Walcott Stores, addressed the sub-committee, stating the motivation behind seeking the licence was to offer a safe, welcoming space where local residents can enjoy organic wines, alcohol-free drinks and refreshments alongside a programme of arts and crafts workshops, and that the goal is to foster a creative environment that enhances communication and well-being. She clarified that after feedback from residents, she had revised the operating hours and added a condition which explicitly prohibits outside drinking, ensuring that any activity remains contained within the cafe.

The licensing officer, Marcia Green, told the meeting that the application had received 31 representations in total, 20 against and 11 in support. She also noted that two objections had since been withdrawn and that there were no representations submitted by the responsible authorities¹.

Councillor Ben Curtis asked about the need for the licence and Millie Youngs' perspective on the representations made against the application. Millie Youngs said that the idea is to foster an environment where people feel they can unwind in a safe and creative setting and enjoy a glass of wine, and that she can completely understand it's a really residential area and that people want to enjoy a peaceful and quiet, tranquil space to live.

Councillor David Robson asked Millie Youngs to describe what an evening at Walcott Stores would be like. Millie Youngs said that the idea is to put on a series of creative workshops and events, such as printmaking, crochet making, and jewellery making, and that she would also like to be open on occasional early evenings for people just to come in after work or enjoy the space as a place for the neighbourhood to have a glass of wine, cheese board and just unwind.

Councillor David Robson asked if Millie Youngs would be willing to add another condition, specifically around waste, about ensuring that it's kept clean, end of business, start of business to make sure that, you know, whatever you're whatever you're selling, whatever you're using is being kept on top of, basically. Millie Youngs agreed to this condition.

Mark Harrison, a resident living next door to Walcott Stores, spoke in support of the application, saying that Millie Youngs' business has been a huge boost to the street since it opened and it's activated the historic shop front on the on the corner of the street, and that she has really demonstrated a willingness to quickly address issues that have arisen since she opened.

The sub-committee agreed to grant the application subject to conditions consistent with the operating schedule, the amendment to the hours of operation, and the set of conditions agreed with the responsible authorities, as set out in Annex B of the LSC 3 July 25 Walcot Stores report. The sub-committee also added an additional condition that during the hours of operation of the premises, the licence holder shall ensure sufficient measures are in place to remove and prevent litter or waste arising or accumulating from customers in the area immediately outside the premises and that this area should be swept and or washed and litter and sweepings collected and stored in accordance with the approved refuge storage arrangements by close of business.

Supercute - Unit G1, Coldharbour Works, 245a Coldharbour Lane

The sub-committee deferred a decision on the variation application for Supercute, located at Unit G1, Coldharbour Works, 245a Coldharbour Lane, to allow more time to discuss and decide.

The licensing officer, Justin Atkinson, told the meeting that the applicant, Hamant Patel Villa, is requesting a variation to the current premises licence under Section 34 of the Licensing Act². The application aims to amend the following activities: plays, films, live music, recording music, performance and dance, and alcohol. The applicant also seeks to remove condition 15, which relates to door supervisors, and condition 23, which relates to having a personal licence holder on duty.

Justin Atkinson also noted that the application has agreed to reduce licensing activities, reduce licensing activity areas, retreat of Shakespeare Road entrance and the pathways to the manager quarters and unused door to back garden pathways, specify maximum persons numbers for main events, complete a proactive noise mitigation plan, and reduce the courtyard opening hours with life support activities closure at 10pm with half an hour clearance. He also noted that the council had received 51 representations in total for this application, 25 against granting an application from members of the public and the councillor and the licensing authority and 26 in support of the application for the granting of the application.

Hamant Patel Villa addressed the sub-committee, stating that he was essentially trying to extend the licenses that they already have internally at Supercute Brewhouse, and that they've already attempted to engage with performers, artists and the local community and have found that they're a little contained by what they're able to do simply in trying to reflect what Brixton is. He also stated that they were working with some great partners here like Latino Life and the Brixton Beard and Squaring Partners and doing some amazing things, including the Latin Brixton Festival, which is next Saturday, and the Brixton Harlem Festival, which is in six weeks' time.

Councillor Serena De Silva asked what vibe clientele are you aiming for by changing the current licence. Hamant Patel Villa said that essentially it's the local people, the people who live in and around Loughborough Junction and Brixton, and that they're kind of reflective of what the community is asking of them.

Councillor Ben Curtis asked why Hamant Patel Villa hadn't got this right so far, and what sort of change to make you want to kind of expand your application. Hamant Patel Villa said that they've only been operating there one year, and they've only been in front of the committee once when we first initiated, and that they never asked for the use of the courtyard or these extended hours.

Councillor David Robson asked what has changed in that time to then say someone saying you weren't going to do something and now you want to try and do it. Hamant Patel Villa said that they didn't even apply for the courtyard at the time we just started as business, and that they had to get our own business going getting, get it in order, and then with the view with the longer term view to maybe establish a presence in the courtyard and to look at the issues properly before we even applied.

Councillor David Robson also asked why Hamant Patel Villa was asking for conditions 15 and 23 to be removed, considering they were quite key in why the licence was granted at that last meeting. Hamant Patel Villa said that most of the operation is very quiet, so on a Wednesday night where you've got 15 people in a bar, it would be untenable and even inappropriate to have security officers there to sue, and that when they were actually going to have any larger events that we would create a risk assessment and based on that risk assessment, bring in the security officers.

Councillor David Robson also asked that with asking for 15 and 23 to be removed, why haven't you asked for condition 27 to also be removed, which is the external courtyard areas not to be used by patrons for any purpose, say for access to or egress from the premises by patrons with mobility issues who need to use the disabled entrance at Shakespeare Road? Hamant Patel Villa said that they have asked for that to be removed, but Justin Atkinson confirmed that the application stated condition 15 and 23 and not 27.

Councillor David Robson asked how does Supercute get to do that kind of create the light and apply for a license for that space when other places haven't? Hamant Patel Villa said that there are tables and chairs laid out already, and this is by the landlord because they viewed it as a space as a communal space for the businesses there and for people to use, and that there is a cafe there called Four Burrows Cafe, who also want to use that space for licensable activities, especially for serving wine, but I think what happened in previous requests is that they've been put off and are waiting to see what happens to us.

Ola Oyewajori, from the licensing authority, said that the application is seeking quite a few things to extend their hours and opening times on Monday to Sunday to permit sale of alcohol for consumption of the premises because the premises currently allow on sale only, so they want to add off sale and to also use the courtyard, which has been said for licensable activities and to remove conditions 1523. Ola Oyewajori also said that the premises is located even though they've stated they are under the bridge, they were from residential area, and that if patrons leave the premises, come out of cold double lane and they wish to turn whichever way either towards Brixton or towards Camberwell, customers will be moving into residential area either to get public transport away from the premises.

Councillor Deepak Sardiwal said that it is absolutely important that local diverse businesses are supported, and that they make a vital contribution to Lambert 2030, but that this application has generated as many as 25 objections from different parties raising a number of concerns against the licensing objectives, and that this number of objections is more than double the number of objections received in 2021 when the licensing subcommittee refused a previous application for licensable activities in the outdoor courtyard.

Paul Trivet, a resident of 102 Shakespeare Road, said that his main objection really is in reference to the granting of the license for the courtyard to be used for the consumption of alcohol by super cute patrons and activities stated to operate externally, and that the noise and disruption which in the area this size and type would create if used for the consumption of alcohol and turning it into a large beer garden and live music event space would be unacceptable.

Keith Powers, also a resident of 102 Shakespeare Road, said that he wanted a quiet life, and that he felt very dismissed by Hamant Patel Villa when he invited them by leaflet to have a beer when he first started, and that he even asked me why I lived here when I told him my bedroom was in the courtyard.

Emma Pomfret, a resident of 96 Shakespeare Road, said that her objection was based on public nuisance and largely noise, and that she can clearly hear normal conversations, deliveries, just daily activities and whatever in the courtyard, and that this echoes along the brick wall.

Margarita Ojali, a resident of Shakespeare Road, said that they are very concerned about the use of that quotient, and that they have collected 12 times they've been in the courtyard with patrons in the last year, whether with 10s or without 10s, and 12 times we have heard them.

Elisa Moan, legal counsel at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said that the trust has raised its concerns and objections in relation to the variation of the current licence to Supercute, and that the trust acquired a long lease of a large percentage of Cold Harbor Works in 2022, and that they have both clinical and office space in use.

Miss Macy, chair of the Loughborough Junction Action Group, said that Cold Harbour Works is a key bar, and that this is a key industrial business area which actually precludes any kind of use of the courtyard for retail, and that on that grounds alone, I object to this.

Jamie Duncan, an independent acoustician, said that the courtyard is a large but reverberant space, and that it is hard finishes, brick, cobbled ground, that sort of thing, and so there is very little to control noise within the space, and that the noise management plan is unfortunately fundamentally flawed.

Hamant Patel Villa said that they were very happy to engage with the neighbours and have invited them any time to come in, and that they are engaged with local Loughborough Junction communities, including people who've used our premises, the local Loughborough Junction premises to actually, you know, come in and see us and meet there.

Councillor David Robson asked Hamant Patel Villa if he had done anything himself that's proactive and engaging with local residents and other community groups instead of saying, hey, we're here if you want to come talk to us? Hamant Patel Villa said that they chair the local environment group for the whole of Brixton, and that they are also involved in the bid, the business improvement district, and that he is one of the first directors of it.

Councillor David Robson asked whether the noise management plan was enough, and whether other people who know stuff about the noise issues have they seen the plans? Hamant Patel Villa said that it's very hard for us also at this stage to come in with solutions where we obviously, you know, want to meet with the with with the neighbours and the landlords and say what we can and cannot do, and that so it's very much based on us being able to to have this inability to use the courtyard to find out how also we can mitigate those issues.

Justin Atkinson clarified that the application did state condition 15 and 23 and not 27, and that Hamant Patel Villa confirmed that he would still like to keep 23 in.

The sub-committee then deferred the decision for up to five working days.