A Londis store in East Dulwich has applied for a premises licence to sell alcohol and late night refreshment until 1am, sparking debate among local residents and authorities.
The Licensing Sub-Committee of Southwark Council met on Tuesday 19 August 2025, to discuss the application by Sithamparanathan Linganathan for the Londis East Dulwich, located at Units 1 and 2, 4 Melbourne Grove, London SE22 8QZ. The application requests permission to sell alcohol and late night refreshment.
The application seeks to:
- Provide late night refreshment (indoors) Monday to Sunday from 23:00 to 01:00
- Sell alcohol (off the premises) Monday to Sunday from 06:00 to 01:00
- Open from 06:00 to 01:00 daily
The council received 85 representations regarding the application, with 61 objecting and 24 supporting it. Concerns raised by objectors included the prevention of crime and disorder, the protection of children from harm, public nuisance and public safety. Specific concerns included noise and disruption from alcohol-related activity, safety and impact on vulnerable neighbouring uses (particularly the proximity to The Charter School East Dulwich), unsuitable increase in traffic and servicing, anti-social behaviour, and the cumulative impact of alcohol-licensed venues.
Representations from the Metropolitan Police Service and trading standards were initially submitted but later withdrawn after the applicant agreed to amend their operating schedule to include conditions and amended hours. The police requested a reduction in hours and conditions to prevent crime and disorder. Trading standards sought conditions to protect children from harm. The applicant agreed to these amendments.
According to the Public reports pack, the conciliated amended hours and conditions agreed with the responsible authorities are:
- Late Night Refreshment Mon to Sun: 23:00 – 00:00
- Supply of alcohol off the premise Mon to Sun: 06:00 – 00:00
- Open to the Public Mon to Sun: 06:00 – 00:00
Conditions include:
- No super strength beer, lagers or ciders of 7.0% ABV exception of Guiness foreign extra, Dragon Stout or above shall be sold at the premises unless written permission (email will suffice) is obtained from the Southwark Trading Standards Team, Southwark council licensing team or Police licensing officer. Such permission must be kept at the premises and made available immediately on request to Police or authorised council officers.
- No beers, lagers, or ciders in 2 litre or above containers
- No drugs paraphernalia shall be sold or displayed
- A Challenge 25 scheme shall be maintained requiring that staff selling or delivering alcohol request that any customer who looks under 25 years old, and who is attempting to purchase or take receipt of alcohol, provides valid photographic identification proving that the customer is at least 18 years old. Valid photographic identification is composed of a photo driving licence, passport, UK armed services photo ID card, any Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) accredited card (such as the Proof of Age London (PAL) card) or any age verification card accredited by the Secretary of State
- All staff involved in the sale of alcohol shall be trained in the prevention of sales of alcohol to underage persons (including the prevention of 'proxy sales') and the challenge 25 scheme in operation at the premises. Details of such training, including the printed name(s) of the trainee(s) and the date(s) that the training was given, shall be recorded in the staff training logs at the premises and shall be made immediately available for inspection at the premises to authorised officers on request.
- That clearly legible signs shall be prominently displayed where they can easily be seen and read by customers stating to the effect that a challenge 25 policy is in operation at the premises, that customers may be asked to provide proof of age and stating what the acceptable forms of proof of age are. Such signage shall be displayed at all entrances and points of sale. The signage shall be kept free from obstructions at all times.
- A register of refused sales of alcohol shall be maintained to demonstrate effective operation of the challenge 25 policy. The register shall be used to record details of all refused sales of alcohol. The register shall be kept / be accessible at the premises. If the refusals register is a paper document, then it shall be clearly and legibly marked on the front cover as a register of refused alcohol sales, with the address of the premises and the name of the licence holder. The register shall be made immediately available for inspection at the premises to authorised officers on request.
The Public reports pack also stated that the sub-committee should have regard to Southwark's statement of licensing policy 2021-2026, which recommends closing times of 23:00 daily for off-licences and alcohol sales in grocers and supermarkets within a residential area. The agreed-upon closing time of 00:00 is one hour later than the 23:00 closing time recommended by Southwark's licensing policy for off-licences in residential areas. The report pack notes that the sub-committee should have regard to Southwark's statement of licensing policy, but the sub-committee must always consider each application on its own merits and allow exceptions to the normal policy where these are justified by the circumstances of the application.
The report pack noted that the premises is situated in a residential area and does not fall within a cumulative impact area. It also stated that climate change is not a legal factor in the consideration of a grant of a premises license, however councillors can make enquiries and request an agreement from applicants to promote the reduction of the impact of climate change that may be caused by the operation of the premises. Examples of such an agreement may be:
- Not to use single use plastics, such as disposable plastic glasses, when selling alcohol at the premises.
- Encourage patrons not to drive to venues by providing details of public transport on their webpages/tickets.
However, it does not specify whether the councillors did make any such enquiries or requests.
The Licensing Sub-Committee, including Councillor Renata Hamvas, Councillor Suzanne Abachor, and Councillor Sunil Chopra, were expected to consider the application, taking into account the representations and Southwark's licensing policy.
