Agenda and minutes

1. This virtual meeting is to be webcast. Members are reminded of the need to unmute before speaking.

2. The Chairman will read the following announcement:

“I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the internet (or filmed) and will be capable of repeated viewing (or another use by such third parties).

Please could I also remind Members of the Public who have registered to speak that they will be admitted to the meeting at the appropriate time.

Please also be aware that if technical difficulties interrupt the meeting that cannot be overcome, I may need to adjourn the meeting.”

The Chairman made a short address to remind everyone present that the virtual meeting would be broadcast live to the internet and would be capable of repeated viewing, which could infringe their human and data protection rights.

To declare interests in any item on this agenda.

There were no declarations of interest made pursuant to the Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct.

Please find attached the revised procedures for holding and attending a virtual meeting of the Licensing Sub-Committee.

The Sub-Committee noted the agreed procedure for the conduct of business and the terms of reference.

The Sub-Committee noted the agreed procedure for the conduct of business, as outlined in Article 8 in the Council’s Constitution.

To consider the attached report for a new Premises Licence at the Spice Kitchen in Buckhurst Hill, to sell alcohol with food orders from 11.00am to 11.00pm each day.

The three Councillors that presided over this application were Councillor C P Pond (Chairman), Councillor D Sunger and Councillor J M Whitehouse.

The Chairman welcomed the participants and requested that they introduce themselves to the Sub-Committee. In attendance on behalf of the application was Stewart Gibson, Licensing Agent and Shamim Khan, the applicant. Also present was Professor Marisa Papaluca, objector ND Ronan McManus for Essex Police. The Chairman then introduced the Members and Officers present and outlined the procedure that would be followed for the determination of the application

(a)        Application before the Sub-Committee

The Licensing Compliance Officer, H Gould informed the Sub-Committee that an application for a new Premises Licence had been received by S G Licensing Limited on behalf the applicant Shamim Ahmed Khan at the Spice Kitchen, 151B Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill IG9 5AZ.

This premises was a hot food take away business to include the sale of alcohol for consumption off of the premises from Monday to Sunday 11.00 – 23.00 hrs for which the premises opening hours were the same.

The application was received on the 16 July 2020 and had been properly advertised at the premises and in a local newspaper, all residences and businesses within a 150 metre radius were consulted. The authority had received one representation from Councillor G Chambers of Buckhurst Hill West and one representation from the Department of Primary Care and Public Health. Responses from Trading Standards and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service had no objections.

Essex Police and the EFDC Senior Environmental Enforcement Officer have agreed conditions with the applicant which can be found attached to the agenda.

(b)       Presentation of the Application

Mr Gibson advised that this application was for the inclusion of the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises for a hot food takeaway Indian restaurant name Spice Kitchen. Currently the premises was trading offering hot food available for takeaway or delivery service. The application before you today was to add the sale of alcohol to a takeaway or delivery service with a substantial food order to help the business flourish in the extremely difficult circumstances that the Pandemic has brought about.

There were representation from Essex Police and Environmental Health to which we have agreed conditions with both. For clarity the condition agreed with Essex Police was that the sale of alcohol must be in a sealed container for off-sales and sold in connection with a substantial food order. Therefore alcohol was not freely available to anyone walking in off the street and not freely available for someone phoning up for an order of alcohol only, there has to be a food order connected to the sale of alcohol. Conditions were also agreed with Epping Forest District Council’s Environmental Health department which stated that no table and chairs shall be provided outside of the licensed area for the use of customers. I would state that this was a takeaway or home delivery service and there would be no tables and chairs supplied  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.