Pierluigi's Pasta Fresca, a family-run restaurant in Beckenham that has been operating for over 30 years, is facing scrutiny over its applications for temporary event notices (TENs) to extend its licensable activities. The restaurant, which was granted a premises licence in November 2005, seeks to extend the sale of alcohol, regulated entertainment, and late-night refreshment until 00:30 on two Saturday nights in August. The Bromley Council Licensing Sub-Committee is set to review the applications following objections from the Public Health Nuisance Team, who cite ongoing concerns about noise levels at the premises.
The sub-committee, comprised of Councillor Nicholas Bennett J.P. (Portfolio Holder for Transport, Highways & Road Safety), Councillor Kira Gabbert (Chairman, Children, Education & Families PDS Committee), and Councillor Melanie Stevens (Biggin Hill Independents Group Leader), will convene on 4 August 2025, to consider the applications for the TENs, which cover the nights of 9 and 16 August. The applications, submitted by Mr David Dadds of Dadds LLP on behalf of Mr Marco Pierluigi Bianchi, seek to extend licensable activities by one hour, with the premises remaining open until 01:00 for dispersal. If the temporary event notices are denied, Pierluigi's will not be authorized to extend their licensable activities by one hour on the specified Saturday nights, meaning they will not be able to sell alcohol, provide regulated entertainment, or offer late-night refreshment beyond their current licensed hours.
However, the Public Health Nuisance Team has lodged objections to both TENs, citing concerns about the prevention of public nuisance. Their objections are detailed in the public reports pack and stem from ongoing enforcement action and a recent review of the premises licence due to complaints about loud amplified music. According to the report, complaints about loud amplified music persist, with evidence to support them, despite appeals against an Abatement Notice and Licence Review outcome. The Public Health Nuisance Team states, we continue to receive complaints regarding loud amplified music and have evidence to support these complaints,
though the specific nature of this evidence is not detailed in the meeting information.
The public reports pack also details a history of engagement with Pierluigi's regarding noise complaints and breaches of licensing regulations, including issues related to COVID-19 restrictions, regulated entertainment, and a broken noise limiting device. The report lists numerous complaints from March 2024 to February 2025 regarding music and noise levels at the premises. Breaches of COVID-19 restrictions included:
- December 2020: Two fixed penalty notices issued by police.
- April 2021: Prohibition Notice served.
- May 2021: £1000 fixed penalty notice issued.
Pierluigi's Pasta Fresca has installed a noise limiting device with tamper-evident seals in an attempt to mitigate noise levels. However, it was discovered in December 2023 that the tamper-evident seals on the noise limiting device had been broken. The premises licence also includes a condition that a noise limiter must be fitted to the musical amplification system and maintained to ensure that no noise nuisance is caused to local residents.
The Licensing Sub-Committee has the option to grant the temporary event notices as applied or uphold the objections and refuse the applications by authorising the service of a Counter Notice. In making their determination, the sub-committee is expected to consider Bromley Council's Statement of Licensing Policy 2025 to 2030, as well as written and oral representations from the applicant and objectors.
The agenda frontsheet for the meeting indicates that the sub-committee will also address declarations of interest from its members before considering the applications. The outcome of the hearing will determine whether Pierluigi's can proceed with its plans for extended hours during the summer trading period.
