Lambeth residents have voiced concerns over a new alcohol licence application for Walcot Stores, a café located at 68 Walcot Square in Kennington. The premises is situated in a highly residential area, located off Kennington Road and Walcot Square, with some residents living overlooking the street, or a few yards away from Walcot Stores. The application was discussed at a Licensing Sub-Committee meeting on Thursday, 3 July 2025, however the Licensing Sub-Committee's decision is not yet known, as the meeting is scheduled to take place to consider the application.
Walcot Stores is seeking permission to sell alcohol. The original application requested sales from 07:30 to 22:00, Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 22:00 on Saturdays, and 09:00 to 19:00 on Sundays. The application also included non-standard timings, with evening openings dependent on art workshops for adults, and walk-ins until 22:30 on Fridays and Saturdays.
The application has received 31 representations, with 20 objections citing concerns over public nuisance, public safety, and crime and disorder. Objectors, including local residents, express concerns about the inappropriateness of granting an alcohol licence to a small premises in a residential area. They anticipate potential disturbances from customers spilling onto the pavement, increased noise, and risks to public safety due to the narrow pavement. Some objectors raised concerns about the potential for crime and disorder arising from alcohol sales at an additional venue in the area, with one noting that the Tankard pub on the Kennington Road is presently closed due to lack of custom
. Eleven representations were received in support of this application, stating that the clientele are quite elderly and middle class and this wouldn't create problems for the neighbours.
In response to concerns, the applicant, Emily Youngs, revised the proposed operating hours to 11:00 to 16:00, Sunday to Wednesday, and 11:00 to 20:30, Thursday to Saturday. These revised hours are significantly shorter than the terminal hours recommended for restaurants/cafés in local centres/shopping parades by the Lambeth Statement of Licensing Policy 2024 - 2029, which suggests a closing time of midnight on Sunday to Thursday and 01:00 on Friday and Saturday.
The applicant also agreed to a set of conditions, including CCTV installation, a Challenge 25 policy, staff training, and measures to prevent public nuisance. The agreed conditions are detailed in Annex B - Agreed Conditions - Walcot Stores - Final Version, which includes measures such as:
- Management / staff shall proactively monitor the conduct and behaviors of patrons inside the premises to ensure no noisy, rowdy or anti-social behaviors. Those patrons deemed to be engaging in such behaviors shall be asked to disperse from the premises and area quietly.
- Notices shall be prominently displayed at all exits, requesting patrons to respect the needs of local residents and businesses and leave the area quietly.
- Loudspeakers shall not be located at any entrance or outside the premises building entrances.
- No waste or recyclable materials, including bottles, shall be moved, removed from or placed in outside areas between (21.00) hours and (08.00) hours on the following day.
- The premises licence holder shall ensure that any patrons smoking outside the premises do so in an orderly manner and are supervised by staff so as to ensure that there is no public nuisance or obstruction of the public highway.