The Licensing Sub-Committee of Ealing Council convened to consider a new premises licence application. The meeting was scheduled to cover apologies, declarations of interest, and a determination on whether any items should be considered in private. The main item for consideration was the application for a new premises licence for Jaybani Stores, located at 59A Western Road, Southall, UB2 5HE.

New Premises Licence - Jaybani Stores

The committee was asked to consider an application made by Mr Ajmeet Singh for a new premises licence for Jaybani Stores. The application requests permission to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises between 08:00 and 23:00, Monday to Saturday, and between 11:00 and 23:00 on Sundays. The report pack noted that the premises is located within a Special Policy Area (SPA) as defined in the council's Statement of Licensing Policy.

The committee was presented with several options regarding the application:

• Grant the application in full.
• Grant the application subject to conditions consistent with the operating schedule.
• Grant the application subject to revised conditions consistent with modifications to the operating schedule as are necessary to promote the licensing objectives.
• Reject the application in part or in full.

Representations

The council received two representations regarding the application. One was from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Ealing Licensing team, and the other from the Ealing Council Licensing Enforcement and Compliance team.

PC Anu Mittu 3692WA, a Police Constable and Licensing Officer for Ealing Borough, submitted a representation on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, citing concerns related to the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, and the prevention of public nuisance. The representation highlighted that the premises is located within a Special Policy Area, which was established due to the area being significantly affected by crime and anti-social behaviour. The police representation stated that:

With an SPA in place, the onus is put on the applicant to demonstrate that if the premises is granted a premises licence, it will not be adding to the existing problems in the area.

The police representation also raised concerns about the saturation of off-licences in the area, stating that Western Road, King Street, and The Green all have multiple shops operating as off licences/convenience stores within a small radius of each other. The police believed that increasing similar premises would exacerbate existing problems of street drinking, crime, and anti-social behaviour.

The police representation noted that a previous application for a premises licence at the same location, submitted in November 2024 for 'Booze Stop', was rejected by the sub-committee due to concerns about anti-social behaviour and public safety in the area.

Robert Dear, Licensing Compliance & Enforcement Officer at Ealing Council, also submitted a representation, raising concerns about the prevention of crime and disorder and the prevention of public nuisance. The representation cited data showing that Southall has the highest prevalence of street drinking-related incidents in parks and open spaces within the borough. It also referenced the council's licensing policy, which creates a rebuttable presumption to refuse new premises applications in Special Policy Areas unless the applicant can demonstrate that there will be no negative cumulative impact on the licensing objectives.

The Licensing Compliance & Enforcement Officer's representation stated that there are already over ten premises permitted for off sales within a 500-metre radius of the premises. The representation also noted that the area is part of the Southall safer Communities Cluster, which already suffers from alcohol-related problems, a high density of street drinkers, and reports of antisocial behaviour.

The representation concluded that granting a premises licence to the applicant would allow the serving of strong cheap alcohol to individuals who have no interest in the local community, and recommended that the application be refused in full.

Licensing Policy Considerations

The report pack included a summary of the council's Statement of Licensing Policy, which sets out proposed standards of management and controls to promote each of the licensing objectives¹. The policy includes considerations for different types of licensed premises, including pubs, bars, night clubs, late night hot food takeaways, premises licensed for off sales of alcohol, and restaurants and cafes licensed to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises.

The Licensing Act 2003, guidance issued under section 182 of the act, Ealing's Statement of Licensing Policy (July 2025), and the Immigration Act 2016 were listed as background documents for the meeting.