The Licensing Sub-Committee of Kingston upon Thames Council met on Tuesday 24 March 2026 to consider an application to vary the premises licence for Sonnys, located at 4 Bishops Hall, Kingston Upon Thames. The committee granted the application in part, extending the hours for late-night refreshment and the sale of alcohol on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, but refused the extension for live and recorded music.

Sonnys Premises Licence Variation

The Licensing Sub-Committee considered an application to vary the premises licence for Sonnys, 4 Bishops Hall, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 1QN. The application sought to extend the terminal hour for licensable activities, including the sale of alcohol and the provision of live and recorded music, to 23:30 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 00:30 on Fridays and Saturdays. It also requested an extension for late-night refreshment and for the premises to be open to the public until midnight on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. A key part of the application was to replace an existing condition with a requirement for a revised noise management plan.

The application was advertised, and while all Responsible Authorities were consulted, the Council's Environmental Health (Pollution Control) Officer initially made a representation regarding public nuisance. However, this representation was withdrawn after the applicant agreed to further conditions, including the installation and maintenance of a noise limiting device, a revised noise management plan, and a dispersal policy.

Despite the withdrawal of the Environmental Health representation, 11 valid representations were received from Other Persons, primarily residents living on houseboats across the River Thames from Sonnys. These residents raised significant concerns about noise pollution, particularly during summer evenings, which they stated was amplified by the river and disrupted their sleep and that of young children. They also cited issues with public nuisance, crime and anti-social behaviour, and hygiene.

Mr. Sam Berry, representing Sonnys, highlighted the business's efforts to address noise complaints, including working with Environmental Health and residents, and stated that the current hours were not commercially viable. He emphasised that the venue was not a nightclub and that recent winter operations using Temporary Event Notices had not resulted in complaints. He also referred to national and London-wide policies supporting economic growth in town centres.

The Licensing Sub-Committee heard from five residents who detailed the intrusive noise levels from both music and customer conversations, which they felt were exacerbated by the venue's open-air nature and its location across the river. They expressed a lack of confidence that revised management measures would be effective, particularly during later hours, and suggested that enclosing the venue or closing the external area at a reasonable time would be necessary.

In their decision, the Licensing Sub-Committee acknowledged the residents' concerns regarding noise escape and the impact on all four licensing objectives, particularly public nuisance. They noted that while the proposed hours for late-night refreshment and alcohol sales were within the council's guideline hours, the extension for live and recorded music was refused due to the venue's open-air nature and the lack of sufficient noise insulation. The committee recommended that Sonnys install further sound baffling measures and imposed additional conditions, including the mandatory use of sound-minimising blinds from 23:00 hours and a specific exit route for patrons leaving after 23:00 hours to mitigate noise impact on residents. The Sub-Committee also noted the frustration of residents regarding the process for making complaints and advised that a review application could be submitted if problems persisted.