Skip to content

Agenda item

Pacific Wines, 102 Islington High Street, N1 - New premises licence

Minutes:

The licensing officer reported that a summary of the submission had been circulated to members and interested parties.

 

The applicant’s representative stated that this was a premises with limited hours, from 11am until 9pm, and was an off sales business with tasting events.  Tickets for the tasting events would be sold in advance.  Sit down events would have a maximum of 10 patrons and standing events would have a maximum of 30 patrons. The premises would sell high end wine from America at an average of £25-£30 per bottle. There had been negotiations with the police and the noise team and conditions had been revised and were on pages 2-6 of the circulated document.  Hours were limited and the price point would determine the type of customer. Wine would be consumed on the premises at tasting events. Standing up events would be in the region of £30 a ticket and seated events were £80 a ticket. Standing events were not anticipated to be the main event. The conditions proposed ensured that the premises could not be turned into a bar. Planning consent was correct.  The premises would not impact on the cumulative impact area. The hours would be limited. On sales would be through a paid ticket.  This was a specialist niche independent shop with a maximum of 30 people. The police and the environmental pollution team supported the application. He invited the Sub-Committee to grant the application with amended conditions. The applicant stated that this was a specialist business.  He and his daughter had travelled to the West Coast of America and had a passion for products from California and Oregon. Tastings were integral to the business. He believed that this was the only shop of its type in London.

 

In response to a question about the noise the applicant stated that the standing events were likely to be one or two a month although they would be demand driven.

 

RESOLVED

1)     That the application for a new premises licence, in respect of Pacific Wines, 102 Islington High Street, N1 8EG, be granted to allow:-

 

a)   The sale of alcohol, on and off the premises on Monday to Sunday from 11am until 9pm.

b)   The premises to be open to the public from 12:00 until 01:00 Monday to Sunday.

 

2)     That conditions detailed on page 85 to 87 of the agenda be applied to the licence.

 

REASONS FOR DECISION

This meeting was facilitated by Zoom.

 

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 operating schedule that there will be no negative cumulative impact on one or more of the licensing objectives. Pacific Wines would be small premises with a capacity of less than 50 people operating well within framework hours set out in Licensing policy 6.

 

The Sub-Committee took into consideration Licensing Policy 4.  The Council has adopted a special policy relating to cumulative impact in relation to shops and other premises selling alcohol for consumption off the premises.  Licensing policy 4 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 or subject to certain limitations, following the receipt of representations, unless the applicant can demonstrate in the operating schedule that there will be no negative cumulative impact on one or more of the licensing objectives.

 

The Sub-Committee was satisfied with the evidence that this was a small shop with a limited capacity. There would be a maximum of 30 people at ticketed standing events which would be held once or twice a month, depending on demand. Seated ticketed events would only accommodate a maximum of 10 people and would be educational in nature. In accordance with Licensing Policy 4 paragraph 74(b), the applicant had demonstrated that the risk of alcohol purchased from the premises being consumed on the street was minimal due to the nature and type of alcohol being sold. The shop was unusual and specialist, catering for wines from the West Coast of America.

 

The Sub-Committee noted that conditions had been accepted from the police and noise team and no responsible authorities were continuing with representations.

 

The Sub-Committee concluded that the granting of the licence with the agreed conditions would promote the licensing objectives. The Sub-Committee noted that the hours sought were within the hours specified in licensing policy 5 and 6.  The Sub-Committee was satisfied that the operating schedule demonstrated high standards of management and that the proposed use, with the extensive conditions agreed, meant that the premises would not add to the cumulative impact.

 

The Sub-Committee was satisfied that granting the premises licence was proportionate and appropriate to the promotion of the licensing objectives.

 

Supporting documents: