The Kensington and Chelsea Licensing Sub-Committee was scheduled to convene to consider an application for a new premises licence. The application was for a licence to sell alcohol at a Nisa Local store on Kensal Road¹. Councillors were to consider representations made for and against the application.

Nisa Local, 177 Kensal Road

Buggsi Supermarket Limited applied for a new premises licence for Nisa Local, Kelso Cochrane House, 177 Kensal Road, London, W10 5BJ.

The application was for the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises, from 7am to 11pm, Monday to Sunday. The applicant described the premises as a 'Ground floor retail convenience store'.

As part of the application, Buggsi Supermarket Limited volunteered steps to promote the licensing objectives², including:

• Only personal licence holders would authorise the sale of alcohol, and staff would be trained to sell alcohol responsibly.
• Refusals and incident logs would be maintained.
• A CCTV system would cover the entrance, tills and main shop floor, with recordings kept for 31 days.
• A Challenge 25 ID Policy³ would be in place.
• Alcohol displays would be positioned in supervised areas.
• Staff would refuse service to intoxicated or aggressive customers.
• Fire extinguishers and calls points would be installed and maintained.
• Aisles and exits would be kept clear.
• A First Aid kit would be kept on site.
• The premises would be well-lit internally and externally.
• Alcohol would be sold only in sealed containers for off-premises consumption.
• Notices would ask customers to respect neighbours and leave quietly.
• Deliveries and waste collections would be scheduled for reasonable hours.
• There would be no external music or loudspeaker use.
• Management would respond promptly to any complaint from residents or council officers.
• Staff would be trained to identify and refuse sale to underage or proxy purchases.
• All staff would be reminded it is an offence to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 or to adults purchasing for minors.
• There would be no sale of single cans of high-strength beer, lager or cider if required by the Licensing Authority.

The Metropolitan Police agreed conditions with the applicant relating to the operation of the premises during Notting Hill Carnival⁴:

• Alcohol sales trading hours: 12:00 to 19:00 for off-site consumption.
• No on-site consumption.
• All alcohol sales supervised by a Personal Licence Holder.
• Challenge 25 policy in place.
• No alcohol sold in any glass or ceramic containers.
• SIA-certified⁵ security staff on duty to assist with queue and entry management.
• Additional staff scheduled to support service, monitoring, and customer safety.
• No amplified music or entertainment.
• Incident and refusals logs kept and available for inspection.
• CCTV operational throughout trading hours.
• Monitoring of conditions and wind down to close the premises from 19:00.
• Liaison with Police and RBKC officers on the day.

Two representations opposing the application were received by the licensing authority. The grounds for objection included:

• The adjoining building contains 40 residential flats, with many occupants described as having long-term health conditions, reduced mobility, or other vulnerabilities, and that the proposed sale of alcohol at these extended hours poses a serious risk to their safety, comfort, and well-being.
• Allowing the sale of alcohol in this location will increase the presence of individuals struggling with addiction, encourage street gatherings, noise disturbances, anti-social behaviour, and potential criminal activity in the immediate area.
• Granting this alcohol licence in a building predominantly occupied by disabled residents would clearly fail to uphold the protections named under the Equalities Act 2010⁶.

Objectors requested that the Licensing Sub Committee reject the application, or significantly restrict the licensing hours and conditions to protect vulnerable residents.

The Planning department made no formal representation, but confirmed that 'at this time, Planning has no objections as there are no planning permissions or conditions tied to this property that would conflict with the application'.

The report for the sub-committee stated that in determining the application, the committee must have regard to the representations and take such steps as it considers necessary for the promotion of the licensing objectives. The steps are:

• (a) Grant the application in full.
• (b) Modify the conditions of the licence volunteered by the applicant in the operating schedule, by altering or omitting or adding to them.
• (c) Refuse to specify a person in the licence as the designated premises supervisor.
• (d) Reject the whole or part of the application.

The report also noted that the committee must act with a view to promoting the licensing objectives, and have regard to its own Statement of Licensing Policy and the Secretary of State's Guidance.