Agenda and minutes

Councillor Flora Williamson welcomed everyone to the meeting and officers and members introduced themselves.  The procedure for the conduct of the meeting was outlined.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Valerie Bossman-Quarshie, Matt Nathan and Ben Mackmurdie.

Councillor Flora Williamson substituted for Councillor Valerie Bossman-Quarshie, Councillor Heather Staff substituted for Councillor Matt Nathan and Councillor Ernestas Jegorvas-Armstrong substituted for Councillor Ben Mackmurdie.

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a) Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b) Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c) Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

(d) Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e) Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or longer.

(f) Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g) Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

The order of business would be as the agenda.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 August 2022 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

The licensing officer reported that two representations had been withdrawn from residents. The applicant had agreed conditions with the Licensing Authority, the Police and the Noise Team and these representations had also been withdrawn.  The applicant had responded to the representations and his letter had been included in the papers. There had been noise complaints but the noise officer had considered that conditions were appropriate in this case.

The applicant stated that he had leased the building in December 2021 and had applied for a change of use to a licensed café and organic shop. There was support for it to remain a public house so they decided to have a café with a restaurant in the evening. They were not aware that there was no longer an alcohol licence and they had two birthday parties. Once they realised they had no licence they did not sell alcohol. The plan was for a restaurant with alcohol served with food and with table service. They wanted to sort out problems with residents and two residents had withdrawn their representations. They wanted to open in the evening as they would be unable to operate solely as a café and juice bar. They were not planning to have parties or noisy background music and accepted the conditions proposed. A member of staff would remind customers to leave quietly and they would work with residents.

In response to questions the applicant said he accepted that it was their fault that they were not aware that they did not have a licence. They would keep the numbers of smokers outside to a minimum and would have signs reminding patrons to leave the area quietly. They had planned to have a juice bar and grocery shop but the Council wanted the premises to remain as a pub.  As it was previously a pub they believed they had a licence. They had managed juice bars but this would be the first time they had traded alcohol in the evening.  They had opened as a café in June and a resident had asked if they could accommodate a birthday party so they agreed.  A resident complained, the party ended at 10pm and they had not sold alcohol since that time. He would run the café during during the day and there would be a person trained to sell alcohol in the evening. There were five staff currently but with an alcohol licence they may need another 3 or 4 staff. He would ensure there was more training for staff so there could be a licence holder on the premises.

RESOLVED

1)      That the application for a new premises licence, in respect of Ginger and Mint, 72 Prebend Street, N1 8PR be granted to allow:-

a)    The sale of alcohol, for consumption on the premises only, from 12:00 until 10pm Monday to Thursday, from 12:00 until 11pm Friday and Saturdays and from 11am until 10pm on Sundays.

b)    The premises to be open to the public from 8am until  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

The Sub-Committee noted that this item had been withdrawn from the agenda as the application had now been agreed by all parties.