Hackney Council has established five new Licensing Sub-Committees to handle a range of licensing and gambling applications for the upcoming municipal year.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Hackney Council Licensing Committee on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The five sub-committees, designated A through E, will be responsible for determining applications and reviews under the Licensing Act 2003, the Gambling Act 2005, the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, and the London Local Authorities Act 1991. This includes applications for premises licenses, club premises certificates, personal licenses, sex establishment licences, and registrations for massage and special treatment licences, as well as reviews of premises licences and club premises certificates, and counter notices to temporary event notices.
Each sub-committee will comprise three members, drawn from the broader Licensing Committee membership based on availability. To ensure flexibility, these sub-committees will not be subject to political balance rules. Membership will be determined as meetings are required, with councillors encouraged to provide advance notice of their availability to facilitate greater attendance.
Councillor Kwame Otiende was confirmed as the Chair and Councillor Nicholas Blincoe as the Vice Chair of the Licensing Committee for the 2026/27 municipal year. These appointments were previously agreed by Full Council.
The committee also formally noted the terms of reference for both the Licensing Committee and its newly established sub-committees. These terms outline the responsibilities, including promoting the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.
Sub-Committees D and E are scheduled to hold daytime hearings, while Sub-Committees A, B, and C will convene in the evenings. The quorum for each sub-committee will be two members, though the aim is for three to be present.
All members of the Licensing Committee are required to undertake annual training, delivered at the first meeting of the Municipal Year. New members will receive additional instruction from the Licensing and Corporate Lawyer before they can serve on a sub-committee.
The committee acknowledged that licensing hearings may continue to be held remotely, in line with the High Court case of Walk Safe Security Services Ltd v London Borough of Lewisham. This is permitted provided fairness to all parties is ensured. The Monitoring Officer is of the opinion that remote hearings are appropriate, but this is subject to the licensing authority considering any representations that such arrangements would not be fair to all parties or would interfere with the rights to a fair hearing under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. If remote arrangements are deemed unfair in a specific case, alternative arrangements must be considered.
Further details on the committee's proceedings can be found in the Public reports pack for the meeting held on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.