Brent Council consultations on alcohol and gambling licensing

 As Brent Council consultations have a low profile and a poor response rate I am publicising two more that are in progress. Both affect the daily lives of residents.

FROM BRENT COUNCIL

Statement of Licensing Policy Consultation -Alcohol

Every 5 years the Council is required to review, consult on and re-publish its Statement of Licensing Policy. The current Statement of Licensing Policy is due to be re-published in January 2025.

 

The Statement of Licensing Policy is a document that sets out the Council’s approach to issuing licences for the sale of alcohol and late night refreshment, the management of those licences and the expectations the Council has of licensees.

 

The Statement of Licensing Policy has been reviewed and refreshed to ensure that it is up to date and relevant to Brent’s current circumstances and how they affect the licensed economy.

 

We do encourage you to read the draft Statement of Licensing Policy 2025-2030, however, we have also outlined the key changes below:

 

Key changes and additions for the Licensing Policy

 

1.   The Licensing Policy has been updated for changes in laws and the Section 182 guidance. Including changes in pavement licences, a link to immigration status documentation and the inclusion of a policy to prepare for ‘Martyn’s Law’.

 

2.   In particular new policies have been included to outline expectations in the following areas:

a.   Addressing risks and harms to women and vulnerable people in the night time economy;

b.   Responding to the proposed Martyn’s Law by outlining event and large venue safety and risk assessment;

c.    Highlighting expectations for ‘dark kitchens’ an their premises to improve the operation and oversight of alcohol sales from these premises;

d.   Ensuring licenses are aware of their responsibilities in relation to drink spiking.

e.   Policies outlining expectations on delivery services and the dispersal of patrons from premises.

 

3.   We have also removed the policy on a voluntary Minimum Unit Price, this policy has not been used and other approaches have had a positive impact in the 

 

area of low cost, high strength alcohol sales.

 

The policy must now be fully reviewed, and re-published.

 

We have prepared a revised a draft policy for consultation purposes. The consultation began on August 8^th and ends on September 29^th. LINK

 

Draft Statement of Licensing policy 2025-30.pdf

(1.8 MB)

 

 Gambling Licensing Policy Consultation 2025 - 2028 - Gambling

Under the terms of the Gambling Act 2005, we must review the licensing policy statement every three years.

 

We base this policy on the three licensing objectives, which are:

• a) Preventing gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime.
• b) Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair an open way
• c) Protecting children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gaming.

 

The purpose of the policy is to share:

• the guiding principles that direct us in making licensing decisions
• issues that applicants will need to consider when making an application.
• the ways we will issue licenses
• the role and influence of representations
• how we will communicate with others and undertake our enforcement role in relation to gambling

 

This information is for residents and businesses and those who wish to run gambling establishments.

 

This policy was comprehensively reviewed last year and only minor amendments have been made.

The policy must now be fully reviewed, and re-published.

 

We have prepared a revised a draft policy for consultation purposes. Consultation began on August 5^th and ends on September 29^th.

 

Please fill out the consultation questions via our survey. LINK

 

Draft Statement of Principles for Gambling 2025.28.pdf

(1.3 MB)

Brent By-election possibility lessens but...

Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala at Stonebride Boxing Club

 The potential for the postponement of the next Full Council Meeting to catch three Labour councillors in the six month attendance rule and thus force them to resign appears to have subsided.

Cllr Ahmad Shahzad is reporting to have attendeded a Pensions Committee and Cllr John Duffy an Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Sub-Committee.

This leaves Zaffar Van Kalwala who is on the Audit Committee which meets at 7.30pm tonight and Scrutiny which meets at 7pm on Wednesday.

That is of course as long as the meetings go ahead and are not abandoned, as Cllr Janice Long seemed to hint at Labour Group on Monday, by the Civic Centre fire alarm being set off.

If for some reason Kalwala does  not attend a by-election will be triggered in Stonebridge ward.

Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala has been active in support of the campaign to Save Stonebridge Adventure Playground which has also been backed by Dawn Butler, Labour's General Election candidate for Brent Central.

Have your say on Brent health services

Wembley drinking ban unenforceable

 

The ban on public drinking of alcohol for this weekend's semi-finals proved difficult to enforce today in Bridge Road, Wembley.

At 11.30am fans were openly drinking on the street and I asked several police officers what was happening with the ban.

One officer said that they could not possibly enforce it but could try and limit it to certain areas, so drinking was going ahead on the shops side of Bridge Road, where the crowds were, but the ban was being enforced on the Ark Academy side where mainly locals were walking to avoid the fans.

Bridge Road, railway bridge

On the railway bridge officers stood by while drinking carried on but further down the road two officers were making fans pour the contents of their cans onto the pavement.

An officer told me that the Council could pass all the laws they like but it was 'impossible' to enforce with so many fans drinking.  A more senior officer said that it was crazy that drinking was banned on the pavements which belonged to Brent Council but allowed on Olympic Way which was privately owned. He said that it risked confrontation to make someone empty a drink on the bridge pavement, while below fans were openly drinking on the approach to the stadium.

When I remarked that it seemed quiet and peaceful at present, he said the real test would be after the match. Meanwhile fans were leaving the area to claim their seats in the stadium and left their public drinking evidence behind.

Another perspective was provided by a shopkeeper who said that his business had been affected by the ban. He relied on pre-match drinks sales for revenue to keep his business afloat and said because of the ban and the parking restrictions he was thinking of closing. Shops were told to close their off-licences one hour before the match.

The shopkeeper was particularly incensed that ASDA around the corner was able to continue selling alcohol. He felt that the street drinking ban was introduced by Brent Council at the behest of Wembley Stadium where drinks are sold at exorbitant prices.