An arts and crafts business has been granted a licence to sell alcohol for consumption on its premises, despite a resident's concerns about child safety and public nuisance.
Wandsworth Council's Licensing Sub-Committee approved the application for Duende Lab Limited, located at 6A St Joseph's Street, London SW8 4DN, to sell alcohol between 10:00 and 23:00 daily.
The business, which offers creative workshops such as painting and making things, stated that alcohol sales would be ancillary to its primary activities. Arthur Brzezgalov, managing director of Duende Lab, explained that the licence would complement their existing offerings, allowing them to serve alcoholic refreshments to adult customers attending workshops. The sale and supply of alcohol will be ancillary to the primary activities of the premises and included as part of the workshop experience or purchased separately for consumption on the premises,
he stated.
One resident, Serge Lioutyi, had objected to the application, raising concerns about children being exposed to alcohol sales and consumption due to the proximity of schools and residential properties. Mr. Lioutyi also voiced worries about potential noise and anti-social behaviour.
However, Duende Lab had proactively addressed these concerns by agreeing to implement additional conditions. These included installing a CCTV system and maintaining an incident log. The CCTV system will be installed and maintained in effective working order, operating at all times the premises is open to the public. Recordings will be retained for a minimum of 31 days and made available on request to the Metropolitan Police, the Licensing Authority, or other Responsible Authorities. An incident log will also be kept and made available to these same authorities. The log will be completed within 24 hours of an incident and will record all crimes reported, ejections of patrons, complaints received, incidents of disorder, alcohol refusals, seizures of drugs or offensive weapons, faults in the CCTV system, and visits by relevant authorities or emergency services.
Furthermore, the business will operate a Challenge 25
policy for alcohol sales, alongside staff training on age verification. Staff involved in the sale or supply of alcohol will receive appropriate training in relation to undertaking appropriate age checks, with refresher training carried out at least every three months. Records of all staff training will be kept and maintained and will be available for inspection by authorized officers. The applicant also stated, Alcohol will not be sold or supplied to any person under the age of 18.
Following these agreements, the Metropolitan Police, Environmental Services, and Trading Standards all withdrew their initial representations.
The applicant confirmed that alcohol would only be available to those attending workshops or specific activities and would not be permitted to be taken outside the premises. The proposed operating hours were explained as a measure to ensure fairness for customers attending workshops at different times of the day. The meeting information does not specify the typical duration of the workshops, but alcohol service will be managed by ensuring it is ancillary to the creative activities and not the primary focus of the business.
The maximum capacity of Duende Lab is 60 persons at any one time, including staff. To manage potential noise levels, prominent notices will be displayed at all exits reminding customers not to loiter, consume alcohol on the street, or disturb residents by causing loud conversations at the front of the shop. The premises will be managed to minimize noise and disturbance to neighboring occupiers, and any music played will be kept at an appropriate level. Customers will be encouraged to leave the premises and surrounding area quietly.
The subcommittee sought clarification on the business operations, including the separation of the premises from residential units and the permitted use of the commercial space. The applicant clarified that the premises has a separate entrance from residential units and that legal checks had confirmed the permitted use of the commercial unit. See the full decision and reasons in the Public reports pack.
The committee ultimately decided to grant the licence, subject to the conditions agreed upon in the applicant's operating schedule. The full decision, reasons, and any legal guidance will be confirmed in writing within five working days.
