RESOLVED:  That Councillor John Sargeant be appointed Chair of the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chair opened the meeting and all present introduced themselves. The Chair advised that the meeting would follow the procedure as detailed in the agenda pack.

The Licensing Officer confirmed that they were not aware that there had been any discussions between parties.

Steven Newman, speaking on behalf of the Applicant, presented the Application, advising that the Applicants were local residents who owned 5 restaurants within the Borough, had operated over 8 years without any issues at any of their premises and had received awards for their restaurants.

The Applicant stated that there was a fast turnaround at the Restaurant, with mainly wraps and soft drinks being served. These were provided mainly in napkins and not in cartons or other packaging which would be found in other refreshment venues.

The Applicant advised that they would be happy to provide CCTV coverage and whilst there was presently some on site, the current system would require upgrading. In relation to the provision of security guards as suggested by the Police, the Applicant was prepared to supply security, however they felt that to supply them for the entire period of 23:00 – 05:00 would be economically unviable and that if this was required, it should be for a shorter period.

The Applicants’ representative noted that the Applicants had made significant investment in the premises and provided an excellent service to their customers. During the period of extension requested, they would be expecting 30-40 customers over the two hour period, which would be those waiting for mini cabs and therefore would not cause any further disturbance as the customers were already in the area currently.

The Applicant requested that in the event that the Committee were minded to refuse the application, a temporary licence could be granted for a year to trial the variation.

PC Russ Stevens asked if, in view of the fact that granting a licence until 5am would allow the premises to then trade all night and into the day, the Applicant intended to stay open after the 5am time requested. The Applicant responded that no, the premises currently opened at 11:00am and therefore the premises would close at 05:00am should the variation be granted.

Councillor John Sargeant asked for clarification on the dining area shown in the plan. The Applicant responded that there was a small section for 8 people to be seated at the front of the premises however this could be closed.

In response to further questions regarding the plan, the Applicant advised that the plan was incorrect and therefore the Licensing Officer undertook to resolve this with the Applicant following the meeting to replace the plan which was currently on file.

PC Russ Stevens presented his representations to the Committee, advising that whilst Aya was well operated, the issue was the location within Wimbledon Town Centre and within the middle of the night time economy and therefore opening later would provide  a facility for people to loiter. PC Stevens gave an overview of the location, highlighting that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.