Agenda item

The licensing officer had no updates for the sub-committee. The chair stated that although there were no objectors present, there had been written objections.

The applicant stated that he wanted to sell alcohol by the glass with a cheeseboard or charcuterie in response to requests from customers. The applicant confirmed that he only served French wine and no beer or spirits and that he did not intend to turn the premises into a pub. Tables would be cleared at 7.30pm. Once a month he held a wine tasting event and there had been no complaints about these. The landlord lived upstairs and had not complained. The applicant’s representative stated that the applicant was in the second year of running the business and it was an upmarket French delicatessen. The licence would not change the atmosphere of Camden Passage. The starting price of a glass of wine would be about £8 and a cheeseboard cost about £20.

The licensing officer advised that the conditions on the current licence would apply with Condition 1 from Annex 1 removed and Condition 2, Annex 2 amended.

In response to a question from a member about the narrow pavement and how accidents would be prevented, particularly if customers were inebriated, the applicant explained that the chairs outside would be very close to the shop and there was a bollard in front so a car would not be able to mount the pavement there. There was currently one table outside and cheeseboards had been served to those at this table for the last two years without any problems. The applicant’s representative explained that the premises operated at a relaxed rate, there would be no vertical drinking and it would not be in the applicant’s interest to allow customers to become inebriated. There would be seating for four people inside and four people outside. 14 people could be accommodated for wine tastings.

RESOLVED:

That the application for a premises licence variation in respect of Le Coq Epicer, 1 Camden Passage, Islington, London, N1 8EA be granted

1)         To remove the restriction for the provision of on sales to pre booked wine tasting events only to allow the premises to sell wine by the glass on the premises, as ancillary to food such as cheeseboards or other food platters.

Conditions detailed on page 250 of the agenda shall be applied to the licence.

REASONS FOR DECISION

The Sub-Committee listened to all the evidence and submissions and read all the material. The Sub-Committee reached the decision having given consideration to the Licensing Act 2003, as amended, and its regulations, the national guidance and the Council’s Licensing Policy.

The Sub-Committee took into consideration Licensing Policies 2 & 3.  The premises fall within the Angel and Upper Street cumulative impact area.  Licensing policy 3 creates a rebuttable presumption that applications for the grant or variation of premises licences which are likely to add to the existing cumulative impact will normally be refused following the receipt of representations, unless the applicant can demonstrate in the operation schedule that there will be no negative cumulative impact on one or more of the licensing objectives.

The Sub-Committee noted that the applicant had agreed conditions with the police. The Sub-Committee had read the papers and noted the objections outlined on pages 248 and 249.

The Sub-Committee heard evidence from the applicant that he wished to sell wine by the glass with a cheeseboard or charcuterie board. The applicant confirmed that he only sold French wine and no beer or spirits and that he would never turn the premises into a restaurant or pub. The Sub-Committee heard evidence that over the last year once a month the premises were holding events with 14 people in the shop and that there had been no complaints. The Sub-Committee heard evidence that the applicant would be selling glasses of wine from around £8 per glass and a cheeseboard from around £20 and that the applicant had no desire to bring crime or drunk people to his shop.

The Sub-Committee noted that it was the intention of the applicant to have a maximum of 8 seated covers, 4 inside and 4 outside, with no vertical drinking. The applicant confirmed that he had been serving cheeseboards outside the premises for 2 years without a problem and that the issue of tables outside had been raised with the police with no concerns expressed.

The Sub-Committee concluded that the size of the premises and hours of operation, combined with the nature of the premises which were not wholly alcohol led, meant that the grant of the variation to the licence would not add to the cumulative impact and would promote the licensing objectives. The Sub-Committee noted the conditions agreed with the police that there would be no vertical drinking, wine by the glass would be sold only as ancillary to food and all external tables and chairs would be cleared and removed by 7.30pm. The Sub-Committee was satisfied that with these conditions the variation to the licence would promote the licensing objectives.

The Sub-Committee considered Licensing Policies 2 and 3 in relation to cumulative impact, 6 in relation to opening hours and 7 and 8 in relation to standards of management.