Agenda item

Re: OUTCOME OF A HEARING

 

NEW PREMISES LICENCE AT: Sundridge Park Tennis and Squash Club, Lawn Close,  Bromley BR1 3NA.

 

The application for a new Premises Licence at the above address was heard by the Licensing Sub Committee on 25th May 2021 and the outcome is shown below:

 

The application was for a premises licence to supply alcohol ‘on’ the premises only and to provide regulated entertainment including live and recorded music for the general public both indoors and outdoors. The premises currently held a club certificate for members only. The area to be licensed included the club building as shown on a plan and an outside area outlined in white on an aerial photograph.

 

The case for the applicant:

 

The applicant was represented by the club manager, Jo Powlson. She confirmed that the club amended the application so that the hours sought were from Sundays to Thursdays from 10:00 to 23:00 hours and from Fridays to Saturdays from 10:00 to 00:00 hours. The manager also confirmed that the Club would accept a 30-minute drinking up time so that the hours for the supply of alcohol and live and recorded music would end 30 minutes earlier.

 

The conditions proposed by the police (including a restriction on amplified music outdoors beyond 2100 hours) were agreed.

 

The manager explained that the club had extended its offer to the community by allowing the general public to hire its courts as well as use by club members. At the moment, the club had to refuse the public the option to purchase a drink in the bar afterwards unless that person was a guest of a club member. The manager explained, with reference to the outdoor area, that a change in current usage for amplified music was not envisaged and there may be no more than perhaps 6 events per year. The Club would be prepared to leaflet local residents giving advance notice of such events.

 

The case for the objectors:

 

In addition to the written representation the Sub-Committee was addressed by a local resident. She had a concern about amplified music being played throughout the day. She, however, had not been particularly disturbed to date by events being held at the tennis club.

 

Reasons for decision:

 

Members considered the amended application, the written and oral representations, the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy and statutory guidance. Members noted the lack of objection from the police and child protection team, subject to the imposition of conditions and from the Council’s public health nuisance team. They noted that no noise, or other licensing related complaints, regarding the club had been received by the Council since

2013.

 

With reference to the written representations in objection, Members noted that some of the complaints related to the golf club and not the tennis club. There was a reference to noisy events on a couple of occasions, but the objectors felt prior notice from the club would go some way to address this. The Club agreed to do this by a condition.

 

Members concluded that given the lack of objection from the police, the good record of the club and with the agreed conditions, that the amended application could be permitted without harm to the licensing objectives.

 

Decision:

 

That the amended application for the premises licence for Sundridge Park Tennis and Squash Club, Lawn Close, Bromley be granted as follows:

 

Hours Open to the Public on Sunday -Thursday from 10:00 to 23:00 hours

Hours Open to the Public on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 00:00 hours

Licensed Hours

Sale or Supply of Alcohol on Sunday-Thursday from 10:00 to 22.30 hours

Sale or Supply of Alcohol on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 23.30 hours

Live Music on Friday and Saturday from 23.00 to 23.30 hours

Recorded Music timings same as Live Music

 

Additional conditions:

 

The following conditions were to be imposed on the Licence:

 

The Licence Holder shall;

 

1. Install and maintain a CCTV system at the premises which shall cover the entrances of the club house and provide good coverage of the licensed areas of the premises. Recordings shall be stored for a minimum of 28 days and CCTV images shall be retrieved in a digital format and supplied immediately to a Police or Council Officer on request.

 

2. Ensure that signage is displayed on the premises reminding customers that CCTV is in operation, or alternatively display (within the public area of the premises) live images from the premises CCTV system, for the purposes of crime prevention.

 

3. Notify the Police within 24 hours when they become aware that the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system provided by the premises is not in operation.

 

4. Ensure that no amplified music is played outdoors beyond 2100 hours on any day. Alcohol

will only be supplied inside the club house from 2300 hours to customers ordering in person

at the bar.

 

5. Carry out a specific risk assessment for each public and private event to ensure an appropriate level of security and to restrict the use of glass if needed to ensure the prevention of crime and disorder. The venue must provide its own written policy in relation to searching, drugs, weapons and theft.

 

6. Ensure all bookings are made at least 14 days in advance of an event and they may only be made by a person over the age of 21 years.

 

7. Ensure all bookings are made in person at the premises and an application completed on a booking agreement form agreed with the Metropolitan Police and all records of these bookings and a guest list must be available for inspection by an authorised officer of the police at any time that the premises is open. Copies of photographic ID must accompany any

application (Passport, Driving Licence, Pass logo ID).

 

8. Ensure that signage is displayed by the main exit reminding anyone leaving the premises to ‘please respect our neighbourhood and leave the premises quietly, thank you’ or similar wording to this effect.

 

9. Ensure that staff will regularly monitor and collect empty drink containers at the venue.

 

10. Ensure that a Challenge 25 policy is operated at the premises with appropriate signage displayed both inside the premises, and on the publicly accessible internet pages including social media controlled by the premises where that content promotes alcohol.

 

11. Ensure that all relevant staff within the business are trained in relation to the Licensing Act 2003 and conflict management. Training records shall be available from the premises and made available for Inspection by the police upon reasonable request. Refresher training will be undertaken every 6 Months (or earlier as necessary).

 

12. Ensure that a refusals record is maintained at the premises and that such a record shall be made immediately available for inspection by the Police or an authorised Officer of the Local Authority.

 

13. Maintain an incident register that that is accessible on the premises. The DPS, or a member of management shall ensure that the details of incidents shall be added to the register within 24 hrs of any incident. The following details shall be recorded: -

 

• Date

• Time

• Location

• Persons concerned (or at least a description)

• Summary of incident

• Identification of any Emergency Services Personnel who attended

• Crime or appropriate reference number provided by the Emergency Services that relates to the incident and any linked incidents.

 

14. Notify local residents 7 days in advance before a licensable event in the outdoor area takes place or before an application is made for a Temporary Event Notice for an extension of the licensable hours permitted by this Licence. The area of notification shall be agreed beforehand with the Council’s Licensing Team.

 

Appeals against a decision of the Licensing Sub Committee:

 

1. The applicant, Responsible Authority or interested party (objector) may appeal against a decision of the licensing sub-committee in certain circumstances. These are laid down with Schedule 5 of the Licensing Act 2003.

 

2. Any appeal should be made to the Magistrates Court, London Road, Bromley, BR1 1BY. An appeal must be lodged within 21 days beginning the day on which you were informed of the decision of the committee.

 

3. It should be noted that there is a cost in making an appeal to the Magistrates

Court that must be met by the appellant. These costs can be significant as

they can include the legal fees of the person you are appealing against

(Respondent).

 

If an appeal is not made now the licence can be “Reviewed” at any time by the Council on receipt of an application by any local resident/business or one of the “Responsible Authorities”

 

Reviews must be based on one or more of the four licensing objectives below

 

1. Prevention of crime and Disorder

2. Prevention of Public Nuisance

3. Public Safety

4. Protection of Children from Harm