The Haringey Council Licensing Sub-Committee met on 7 July 2025, where the main item on the agenda was an application for a review of a premises licence at Hornsey Arms Ltd, trading as North Eight, located at 26 Highgate High Street, London, N8. Due to a conflict of interest, Councillor Anna Abela, Chair of Licensing Committee, recused herself from the hearing, and the sub-committee resolved to adjourn the hearing and reconvene on 17 July 2025.

Application for Review of Premises Licence - Hornsey Arms Ltd

The sub-committee was to consider an application for the review of the premises licence for Hornsey Arms Ltd, trading as North Eight, located at 26 Highgate High Street, London, N8. The application for review was submitted by Craig Bellringer, Noise and Nuisance Officer, and related primarily to concerns around crime and disorder and public nuisance. Public safety was also cited as a concern.

The application stated that the operation of the premises had led to public nuisance due to large numbers of patrons congregating outside on the pavement, fights taking place, and noise nuisance.

According to the officers report, the premises licence holder is Hornsey Arms Ltd, with Ms Jemma Crucifix as the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS). The premises is licensed for live and recorded music, and the supply of alcohol, with the following hours:

• Regulated Entertainment: Friday and Saturday 20:00 to 00:00
• Supply of Alcohol: Monday to Sunday 11:00 to 03:00
• Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 11:00 to 03:30

The officers report noted that representations had been received from the Metropolitan Police, ward councillors, and residents, outlining complaints and police attendances related to anti-social behaviour (ASB).

Grounds for Review

The review april 2025 application cited an extensive complaints history since 12 September 2022, with 82 reports related to music and people noise. Some reports were made outside of service hours (Thursday to Sunday, 18:00 to 02:00), making investigations difficult.

The review april 2025 application also stated that officers had attended a local resident's property on 13 January 2024, and could hear excessively loud music coming from Hornsey Arms, resulting in the issuing of an abatement notice¹. Further breaches were noted on 29 March 2024 and 15 February 2025, leading to fixed penalty notices².

Craig Bellringer, Noise and Nuisance Officer, stated that he had met with Mr James Kearns, director of the company, on three occasions to discuss noise mitigation measures.

Concerns were also raised about noise from the smoking area at the front of the premises, loitering in the early hours, and previous police callouts due to fights and the management's inability to control patrons.

The review april 2025 application referenced conditions attached to the premises licence related to the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children.

Craig Bellringer, Noise and Nuisance Officer, stated that the reason for calling the licensing review was his belief that the DPS and Mr Kearns were unable to adhere to licensing objectives, specifically the prevention of public nuisance. He recommended changing the hours to reduce the risk of public nuisance and removing regulated entertainment from the licence, with the following proposed hours:

• Supply of Alcohol: Sunday to Thursday 12:00 to 23:30, Friday and Saturday 13:00 to 23:30
• Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday 11:00 to 00:00

Police Concerns

The Metropolitan Police submitted supporting representations, citing multiple incidents involving violence and breaches of licensing conditions. According to appendix three, police data from March 2024 showed 26 separate dates police had been called to the premises, with 28 out of 40 calls related to violence.

The appendix three document noted incidents involving members of the travelling community, a female served to the point of vomiting, and a 16-year-old served alcohol at 02:55, in contravention of licensing conditions.

Police crime reports over the last 12 months showed 11 reports generated in connection with violent incidents at the premises. Police stated that the premises was presenting as a hotspot for violence against the person, criminal damage, and public order offences.

The appendix three document stated that Mr Kearns had been spoken to on 14 February 2025, regarding an altercation, and had stated he would bar the people that caused issues. A licensing visit on 14 March revealed multiple breaches of licensing conditions, including only one SIA³ door supervisor hired during weekends, no refusals book, and issues with obtaining CCTV footage.

The appendix three document stated that Mr Kearns had acknowledged multiple breaches of the licensing conditions including:

• Only one SIA door supervisor had been hired during the weekends since at least December 2024, when his license clearly states two.
• There was no refusals book on the premises.
• There had been an issue with obtaining CCTV when officers had attended for an incident.

Police concerns included the serving of intoxicated customers and potential service to underage individuals.

Following a police visit on 14 March, the premises took steps to improve compliance, including increasing CCTV coverage, signing up to Licensing Connect, and hiring two SIA door staff. However, further incidents occurred, including an assault on a hired entertainer and racial abuse towards police officers.

A Microsoft Teams meeting on 23 April between a representative of the licence holder and the police licensing team led to proposals for temporary measures, including reduced operating hours and an over-21 policy at weekends.

The police summary concluded that the premises licence holder had demonstrated an inability to uphold licensing objectives and provide solutions to crime and disorder. The police recommended closing at 00:00, stopping the supply of alcohol at 23:30, and having a minimum of two SIA door staff every night of the week.

Representations from Residents and Councillors

Numerous representations were received from local residents and Councillor Adam Small, Hornsey Ward, detailing concerns about noise, anti-social behaviour, and public safety.

Residents reported frequent disturbances, fights, broken glass, public urination, and vomit on the streets. Concerns were raised about the impact on sleep, safety, and the overall quality of life for residents.

Councillor Adam Small submitted a representation on behalf of concerned residents, stating that the licensing objectives were not being upheld. He cited anti-social behaviour, noise disturbance, and criminal activity associated with the premises. Councillor Small also highlighted the excessive licensing hours and the negative impact on the community.

Licensing Sub-Committee Options

The Licensing Sub-Committee had several options available to them, including:

• Modifying the conditions of the licence
• Excluding a licensable activity from the scope of the licence
• Removing the Designated Premises Supervisor
• Suspending the licence for a period not exceeding three months
• Revoking the licence

The sub-committee was asked to state its reasons considering the representations received and what is appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives.