Haringey Council is reviewing the licence of the Hornsey Arms, formerly known as Hornsey Tavern, following numerous complaints from residents and police regarding noise, anti-social behaviour (ASB), and alleged breaches of licensing conditions. The premises licence was initially issued under 'Grandfathered rights' in November 2005, and has been subject to previous reviews. In March 2022, conditions were added to the licence following noise complaints.

The Licensing Sub Committee met on Tuesday, 5th August, 2025, to consider the application for review, which was submitted by Craig Bellringer, Noise and Nuisance Officer. The application cites 82 reports received since September 2022 relating to music and people noise, some occurring outside of service hours.

According to the Public Reports Pack, officers attending a resident's property on 13 January 2024 at 22:57hrs heard excessively loud music emanating from the Hornsey Arms, leading to the issuance of an abatement notice. Fixed penalty notices were also issued on 29 March 2024 and 15 February 2025 following further noise complaints.

Map showing police incident hotspots around Hornsey High Street, including the location of Hornsey Arms Ltd.
Map showing police incident hotspots around Hornsey High Street, including the location of Hornsey Arms Ltd.

Representations included in the Public Reports Pack from Councillor Adam Small, Hornsey Ward Councillor, highlighted concerns from numerous residents regarding serious and sustained issues associated with the premises, particularly regarding the prevention of crime and disorder, prevention of public nuisance, and public safety. Councillor Small stated that residents have repeatedly expressed that the premises has:

  • Failed to control the conduct of its patrons both inside and outside the venue.
  • Attracted individuals who engage in threatening or violent behaviour, often requiring police attendance.
  • Created an unsafe and deeply unpleasant night-time environment for the surrounding neighbourhood.

Police data included in the Public Reports Pack indicates that police have been called to the premises on twenty six separate dates since March 2024, with the majority of calls relating to violence. The data suggests incidents occur evenly across the week, primarily between 00:00 and 03:00 hours.

The police report also noted concerns about a 16-year-old being served alcohol at 02:55am, a violation of the premises' licence conditions.

According to the Public Reports Pack, police engagement with James Kearns, director of Hornsey Arms Ltd, revealed acknowledgements of multiple breaches of licensing conditions. These included employing only one SIA door supervisor on weekends when the licence requires two - Mr. Kearns reportedly told police that hiring a second door supervisor would cost approximately £600 and ruin his business - the absence of a refusals book, and issues with CCTV availability. The report also stated that Mr Kearns admitted to consuming alcohol on site, which, coupled with the other breaches, reinforced police concerns about his ability to operate the premises responsibly.

In response to the concerns raised since September 2022, Hornsey Arms Ltd. reportedly took steps to improve compliance, including increasing CCTV coverage and storage, signing up to Licensing Connect (which includes WAVE training for staff), and hiring two SIA door staff.

The Public Reports Pack states that the Licensing Sub-Committee is considering several options, including modifying the licence conditions1, excluding licensable activities, removing the Designated Premises Supervisor, suspending the licence, or revoking it altogether. A recommendation has been made to reduce the hours for alcohol sales and remove regulated entertainment from the licence, with proposed closing times of 23:30 Sunday to Thursday and 23:30 Friday and Saturday. Currently, the licensed hours for alcohol sales are 11:00 to 03:00 Monday to Sunday, so the proposed changes represent a significant reduction.

The meeting agenda states that the Sub-Committee will deliberate and reach a decision, which will be provided in writing within five working days of the meeting. Depending on the decision of the Sub-Committee, the licence holder and the applicant have rights of appeal to the Magistrates Court. The Sub-Committee is asked to state its reasons considering the representations received and what is appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives.

1 The Licensing Sub-Committee can modify the conditions of the licence by imposing further conditions or changing the hours of certain licensable activities. They may also decide to remove one or more of the licensable activities.