Covent Garden London
The heart of London's West End
Licensing Report
During the past year the CGCA has commented on a total of 31 licence applications: 16 of which related to Justices ('Liquor') licences, 14 to Public Entertainment licences and 1 to a Night Café licence. On a number of these applications, the CGCA has been able to secure some important conditions and undertakings, thus negating the need to go to a hearing or object. On others, we have done our utmost to support the local community in its objections. The CGCA has been able to co-ordinate their efforts by providing advice and practical support at hearings, pre-meetings and site visits. It goes without saying that these efforts are extremely time-consuming, as each major licence case requires a lot of preparation, in addition to all the time 'lost' in having to attend the hearings in Court or at the Town Hall.
Some of our efforts have been very successful. In some cases this has resulted in appeal hearings, as most applicants find it hard to take 'No' for an answer. The CGCA has therefore had to appear in Court on a number of occasions, mainly in relation to the licence for All Bar One at Cambridge Circus, when we had to attend the Crown Court on 7 different days. The appeal by the St Martin's Lane Hotel against a refusal of their 3am Music & Dancing licence is due to be heard at the end of July in the Magistrates' Court.
The survey carried out earlier this year by Robert Clark, our energetic volunteer, has provided some very interesting information. Did you know there were at least 412 Food & Drink outlets in the Covent Garden area? According to our survey database there are 102 Bars and Public Houses, 127 Restaurants, 127 Sandwich Bars and Cafés, 21 Theatres, 12 Hotels & Conference Centres, 11 Clubs, 11 Off-licences, and 1 Cinema in Covent Garden.
The CGCA has also worked hard on licensing issues 'behind the scenes'. During the year, the Better Regulation Task Force (part of the Cabinet Office) published its report on licensing deregulation, which was immediately hijacked by the press to tell everyone that 24-hour drinking was just around the corner. More significantly, the Licensing Working Party (set up by the Central Westminster Police & Community Consultative Group) published 'A Good Night Out', its long-awaited report on all aspects of licensing. The working party's meetings continue to take place, as responses to the many recommendations made in the report are beginning to come back.
Jo Weir, our dynamic Chairman, was part of a deputation to the Home Office to discuss matters of concern with the Minister responsible for licensing policies. We have also made detailed comments on Home Office proposals to extend licensing hours on New Year's Eve and on Westminster City Council's proposals for sex licensing. The Home Office is currently consulting on the deregulation of the Sunday Observance Act, which has stopped most night-clubs and entertainment venues from opening on Sundays, giving most parts of Covent Garden at least one relatively quiet night. The CGCA would welcome your views on this before the end of September 1999.
We were very pleased that the Licensing Justices took the unusual step of making a site visit to premises in Maiden Lane, when they were considering strong objections from the community to a new licence application. At the height of the summer of 1998 a group of local representatives walked around Covent Garden with the head of Licensing for Westminster City Council, when we were able toshow him the seriousness of the effect of over-licensing. Many local businesses will agree that the excesses of outside drinking, late hours and the saturation of the area with licensed premises will not benefit anyone and that, ultimately, it will result in Covent Garden's decline as a high-class destination.
Altogether a very hectic, exhausting, but significant year.
John Bos
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