The Harrow Council Licensing Panel met to consider an application for a new premises licence for Deluxe Off-Licence & Pan Parlour, located at 2 Village Way East, Harrow. The panel heard representations from the Metropolitan Police and the licensing authority, who objected to the application in its original form. The decision was deferred and will be sent to all parties in writing within five working days.

Deluxe Off-Licence & Pan Parlour - New Premises Licence Application

Janakkumar Patel has applied for a new premises licence for Deluxe Off-Licence & Pan Parlour, 2 Village Way East, Harrow, HA2 7LU, for the sale of alcohol between the hours of 7am and 11pm, Monday to Sunday.

The Metropolitan Police and the licensing authority submitted representations against the application, concerned that it could undermine the licensing objectives, specifically the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

The police initially proposed 16 conditions for the licence, 12 of which were agreed by the applicant. The key points of contention were:

• The applicant wanted to commence alcohol sales at 7am, while the police requested a 10am start.
• The applicant wanted to sell spirits in miniature bottles (under 20cl), which the police opposed.
• The applicant wanted to sell single cans of beer, lager, or cider, which the police opposed.
• The applicant wanted to sell cans of beer, lager, and cider above 6% ABV¹, which the police opposed.

The licensing authority supported the conditions proposed by the police, stating that the premises is located near Alexandra Avenue, an area known for street drinking and antisocial behaviour. They argued that without the proposed conditions, granting the licence could worsen existing problems.

During the hearing, the applicant's agent, Anil Bhawsar, argued that the application should be judged on its own merits and that many other off-licences in the area were selling miniature spirits and single cans of alcohol. He also stated that the applicant was willing to not sell beers and ciders over 6% ABV.

The applicant, Janakkumar Patel, stated that he had experience running an off-licence for over 10 years and was aware of the issues around underage sales and street drinking. He also argued that forcing customers to buy multipacks of alcohol or larger bottles of spirits would encourage greater alcohol consumption.

A licensing officer clarified that while some older licences in the area did not have the same conditions, new off-licences were generally expected to adhere to them.

A representative of the Metropolitan Police, PC Bhandari, stated that the police had already issued 10 PSPO² notices in the area since January 2025.

The licensing authority representative added that the area around 2 Village Way East is a well-documented hotspot for alcohol-related disorder and antisocial behaviour, and that street drinkers often exploit the lack of restrictions at certain premises to obtain cheap alcohol.

The licensing authority representative also said that they would be content if the restriction on the commencement of alcohol sales was brought forward to 9am, after the schools had started.

The applicant did not confirm whether the 9am start time would be acceptable.

The panel deferred their decision, which will be sent to all parties in writing within five working days.