A licensing hearing for the convenience store Best One was adjourned after key parties, including the Home Office and the premises' legal representatives, claimed they had not been notified of the proceedings. The hearing, scheduled to consider an application to transfer the premises licence and vary the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), has been rescheduled for 5 May 2026.
Mrs Gurmeet Kaur Hakimzada is the proposed new DPS for the Best One store. She is identified as the wife of Mr Gurmeet Singh Hakimzada. Objections to the application were lodged by the Immigration Enforcement Licensing Compliance Team and the Police.
The Immigration Enforcement team raised concerns that the transfer to Mrs Hakimzada could be prejudicial to the prevention of illegal working. Their concerns are heightened because the contact details provided in the application are linked to Mr Gurmeet Singh Hakimzada. The Home Office referenced two unpaid civil penalties totalling £30,000 issued to GS Enterprises UK Limited, where Mr Hakimzada was a director from September 2002 until December 2023, for employing individuals without the right to work in the UK.
The Police also objected, citing concerns about the legitimacy of the proposed DPS and premises licence holder arrangement. They noted that the contact details belonged to Mr Gurmeet Singh Hakimzada, whose own premises licence was revoked in 2018 following the seizure of illegal tobacco. The revocation decision was made after a review hearing where the Sub Committee considered the seriousness of the matter and the quantities of illegal tobacco seized, which amounted to over £4000 of unpaid duty and was the largest single seizure in Ealing Borough. Furthermore, the premises continued to sell alcohol during a six-week suspension period, as demonstrated by a test purchase, and the licence holder showed a clear lack of regard for a court order.
The Police questioned whether the proposed applicant, residing in Southall, West London, could genuinely exercise day-to-day control over the Romford-based premises. They suggested the application was a DPS transfer by proxy
, arguing this would undermine accountability safeguards within the Licensing Act 2003 and risk undermining the objective of preventing crime and disorder. The typical process for investigating and verifying day-to-day control capabilities when a significant distance is involved is not detailed in the provided information, but the Police's concerns highlight the scrutiny such applications can face.
No decision was made on the application during the initial hearing. The meeting was chaired by Councillor Philippa Crowder, with Councillor Christine Smith as Vice Chair. Mr Mannick served as the legal advisor, and Mr Hartman as the clerk. The full public reports pack for the original hearing can be found here, and for the rescheduled hearing here.