Havering (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The Drill in Brentwood Road has been refused permission to open an hour later each day after Havering Council’s licensing sub-committee rejected the proposal.
Public protection officer Oisin Daly from the licensing authority and PC Chris Stockman from the Metropolitan Police both expressed concerns to the committee during a meeting on Monday, November 10, regarding the possibility of “crime and disorder” as a result of “increased levels of intoxication” in Havering.
PC Stockman said:
“We do have concerns that extension of the trading hours to 1.20 in the morning is likely to have an adverse impact on the community.
Extending the supply of alcohol until 1am hous will extend the consumption period and may lead to increased levels of intoxication, which may result in disturbances and crime and disorder.
This in turn causes public safety to be at risk because of violent crime and injuries associated with those kind of offences.”
The Drill’s operators, Kim and Wayne, are “generally managed well,” according to Mr. Daly and PC Stockman.
Mr Daly said:
“Historically there have been minor issues […] but in respect of the premises operators themselves we have a good relationship with them and there’s no concerns about them as operators.”
Mr. Daly noted “previous incidents at the premises […] where fights have occurred in the street” and other problems with customers gathering in the area outside the pub while departing in his protest letter that was publicized before the meeting.
The Drill’s representative stated during the meeting that the request to extend business hours was made “purely to retain the existing customers” rather than to draw in new ones.
He said it was “good to hear” from the authorities about “how well The Drill operates” and urged council members to make an “evidence-based” decision regarding the expansion.
The decision “certainly wasn’t an easy” one, according to Cllr Phillipa Crowder, chair of the licensing subcommittee, and the committee had gone “backwards and forwards” in their deliberations before rejecting the extended operating hours.
Summing up, legal advisor Thandi Lubimbi said:
“Having heard representations from both sides the sub-committee are satisfied that the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder, and preventing a public nuisance, will be undermined if the extension of hours are granted.”
What reasons did Havering Council give for refusing the extension?
Concerns about noise nuisance and complaints caused by patrons moping outdoors after closing, which could disturb nearby residents. The venue’s position in a mixed- use area with both marketable businesses and domestic parcels, heightening worries about impact on residents’ quality of life.
The demesne isn’t within a designated late- night frugality area, which generally permits longer trading hours. Police and licensing officers raised enterprises that extending hours would increase threat to public safety and negatively affect the original community. The licensing sub-committee aimed to balance the business’s interests with guarding original residents from disturbance, deciding that maintaining ending times was more applicable.
Therefore, the turndown was predicated on community safety, noise control, and the venue’s unsuitability for opening without safeguards.
