A bid by Secret Cinema to secure a premises licence for a site on the Greenwich Peninsula has been granted, despite objections from local residents concerned about potential noise, crime, and disorder. The immersive entertainment company, Secret Production Five Limited, applied for a licence to host a variety of events including the Performance of Plays, Exhibition of Films, Performance of Live Music, Provision of Recorded Music, Performance of Dance and similar activities, as well as sell alcohol at land to the east of East Parkside, west of Olympian Way and south of Edmund Halley Way (Plot 20.02), London SE10 0NL.
The application proposed operating hours from 10:30 to 23:30 Sunday to Thursday, and 10:30 to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Late-night refreshment was also requested until 23:30 on weekdays and midnight on weekends.
However, two local residents lodged formal objections. James Underwood raised concerns about noise from customers leaving late at night, potential alcohol-related anti-social behaviour, and the cumulative impact on the residential neighbourhood. He suggested alcohol sales should cease by 23:00 on all days. Alyssa Torras echoed these concerns, highlighting the proximity of the venue to residential properties and the potential for amplified entertainment and late dispersal to cause noise and disorder. She requested the application be refused or subject to strict conditions.
Despite these objections, the Licensing Sub-Committee B, meeting on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, ultimately granted the licence. The committee considered the application, representations from the objectors, and the applicant's proposed operating schedule. They noted that no objections were received from responsible authorities, including the police.
The sub-committee concluded that the applicant had demonstrated that the proposal would not add to the cumulative impact within the The O2 and environs Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ). The committee considered representations from responsible authorities and local residents regarding potential increases in public nuisance and disorder within this zone. The decision to grant the licence was made subject to the 49 conditions offered by the applicant, which were deemed to meet the licensing objectives, including the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance, and protection of children from harm.
These conditions include measures related to CCTV, the presence of a personal licence holder, an incident register, queue management, and staff training. To manage customer dispersal, particularly late at night, the applicant offered conditions relating to queue management, staff training on safety protocols, and a written Dispersal Policy. Notices will be prominently displayed at all final exits requesting patrons to respect the needs of local residents and businesses and to leave the area quietly. Furthermore, a direct contact telephone number for the manager at the premises will be publicly available at all times the premises is open and displayed on the premises website, to be made available to residents and businesses in the vicinity.
The specific details of each of the 49 conditions, which are contained within pages 51-58 of the report Public reports pack 11th-Aug-2026 18.30 Licensing Sub-Committee B.pdf, were considered by the Licensing Sub-Committee to meet the prevention of crime and disorder objective. The committee also acknowledged that extended hours could increase risks associated with crowd density, external congregation, and dispersal management.
