A bid to sell alcohol from a Portobello Road cafe during Notting Hill Carnival has been refused by Kensington and Chelsea Council due to safety concerns. The Licensing Sub-Committee decided to issue a counter notice, effectively refusing the Temporary Event Notice (TEN) for What a Week
at 252 Portobello Road.
The decision was made on the grounds that allowing the event would undermine the licensing objectives of the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety. The Metropolitan Police had lodged an objection, citing fears that serving alcohol from a non-carnival-organised venue on the parade route could lead to dangerous queues, crowd build-up, and bottlenecks, impeding the safe movement of people and emergency services.
PC Jinelle Caldinez, representing the Metropolitan Police, told the committee that the applicant had not adequately demonstrated how the proposed activity would support the licensing objectives or provided sufficient detail on crowd and queue management. She stressed that the police's primary concern was that customers should be brought fully inside the premises to be managed, rather than being served at a table near the entrance, which would push pressure onto the street.
The council is obligated to uphold four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. The committee determined that the proposed arrangements for What a Week
would undermine these objectives, particularly in the high-risk environment of Notting Hill Carnival.
The applicant, Mr. Guney Yesildag, argued that he had provided all requested documentation and had initially received approval from a police officer. He proposed serving from a table just inside the Tavistock Road entrance, with a maximum of three customers inside at any time and two security personnel managing the queue. He also stated that alcohol would only be served in shatterproof plastic cups and contactless payment would be used.
However, PC Caldinez clarified that the initial police communication indicated no objection based on preliminary undertakings
given at that time, which included the proposition that customers would have to come inside the premises.
She reiterated that the proposed serving method differed from what was discussed and agreed upon, and that Tavistock Road would be busy, making it difficult to manage large queues with limited security. The police deemed the applicant's proposed measures insufficient because they believed serving from a table near the entrance would push pressure onto the street, creating a bottleneck. They preferred customers to be brought fully inside the premises to be managed.
This application deviated from the typical process for temporary alcohol sales during Notting Hill Carnival, where applicants are expected to take customers inside their premises to manage them and avoid adding to the risk of overcrowding or bottlenecks outside. PC Caldinez stated, All the other, we play with a level playing field with a straight bat. All the other applicants who have applied for 10s in the busy and high risk areas have accepted the need to take the customers inside their premises where they are responsible for them and they can manage them.
The committee members, including Councillor Greg Hammond (Chair), Councillor Walaa Idris, and Councillor Nadia Nail, questioned both the applicant and the police. Councillor Nail raised concerns about litter dispersal and preventing crowd congregation, to which Mr. Yesildag indicated he could only manage waste within the immediate vicinity.
Mr. Yesildag stated that while What a Week
cafe has not been involved in this specific carnival, they have experience working in other carnival environments
and have served clients in carnival areas with mobile units.
Any unauthorised trading would undermine the prevention of crime and disorder objective, and any unauthorised street trading will therefore constitute a criminal offence. However, the meeting information does not explicitly detail other potential consequences for the cafe if they were to sell alcohol without a valid TEN during the carnival.
A written summary of the decision will be provided within five working days, with a full determination to follow. The council's standard procedures for assessing safety and crowd management during large public events like the carnival involve reviewing TEN applications and considering objections from authorities such as the Metropolitan Police. The police noted that Notting Hill Carnival is planned months in advance to manage risks, and bars, food stalls, and street traders must meet requirements set by NHCL management to ensure safety. Applicants are expected to demonstrate how their proposals support licensing objectives and do not adversely impact emergency services, providing details on crowd control, stewarding, security, and risk assessments.
