Agenda and minutes

(Assistant to the Chief Executive) To declare interests in any item on this agenda.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive) For all participants to note the agreed procedure for the conduct of business.

(Director of Corporate Support Services) To consider the attached report.

The three Councillors that presided over this item were Councillors Angold-Stephens, Gadsby and Boyce. The Chairman welcomed the participants and requested that they introduce themselves to the Sub-Committee. In attendance on behalf of the applications were: B-E Jung, Counsel; A Perera, Greene King; and M Cleary, operator of the premises. In attendance having made objections to the application were: S Weston, Loughton Residents Association and Loughton Town Council; A Richardson, resident; M Roach, resident; and D Roach, resident. Also in attendance was D Baker, Planning Officer with Epping Forest District Council. The Chairman then introduced the Members and Officers present, and outlined the procedure that would be followed for the determination of the application.

The Application before the Sub-Committee

The Assistant Director of Corporate Support Services (Legal) informed the Sub-Committee that an application to vary a Premises Licence had been received in respect of the Nu Bar at 153 High Road in Loughton, along with representations from interested parties. The application had requested permission to: extend the hours for the supply of alcohol, live music, recorded music, performance of dance and anything similar on a Sunday until 1.00am the following day (currently 12.00am); extend the hours for late night refreshment on a Sunday until 1.00am the following day (currently 11.30pm); and extend the opening hours of the premises on a Sunday until 1.00am (currently 12.30am). All other opening times, licensable activities and seasonal variations were to remain unaltered.

The Assistant Director stated that representations regarding the application had been received from Essex Police, Essex Fire & Rescue Service, the Children’s Safeguarding Service, the local Planning Authority, Loughton Town Council, the Loughton Residents Association, Pastor Roland Brown, Haslers (a local business) and eleven local residents. The representation from the Police offered one further condition to be added to the licence for the premises and an amendment to an existing condition:

(i)         CCTV covering the internal & external of the premises will be installed and maintained. It will be recoding at all times the premises are open to the public and will be kept in an unedited format for a period not less than 28 days. The images are to be made available to the Police, Local Authority or Trading Standards for inspection upon lawful request.

(ii)        Employment of a minimum of four SIA registered door staff to be on duty from 1900 until 30 minutes after the closure of the premises on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The Police representation stated that they would have no further objections to the variation if the applicant agreed to the two conditions above.

Presentation of the Applicant’s Case

The applicant’s Counsel stated that Greene King was a responsible corporation and the current operator of the premises had been in situ for twelve months. There had been no criminal incidents and no formal complaints had been received. The premises was not a nightclub but a prestige bar where tables could be booked for £400 per night. The premises had a capacity of 150, but this was rarely reached  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.