A proposed Caribbean-themed rum bar for Notting Hill Carnival has been refused by Kensington and Chelsea Council's Licensing Sub-Committee due to safety fears.
The application for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) for 204 Kensington Park Road was objected to by both the Metropolitan Police and the Council's Noise and Nuisance Team.
PC Mark Perry of the Metropolitan Police stated that allowing alcohol sales from unlicensed premises during Carnival could negatively impact crowd dynamics and safety. The TEN increases the risk of crime and disorder and injury,
he told the committee, highlighting concerns about potential crushing, pickpocketing, theft, and sexual assaults due to overcrowding and alcohol consumption.
He further elaborated that while each TEN is considered on its own merits, it must also be viewed as part of the carnival as a whole. A venue with 50 or so people can cause a disproportional effect if it causes a pinch point, or over crowding, or a fight breaks out that then affects a wider area as so many people are attending the carnival,
PC Perry explained. He noted that last year there were 100 TENs selling alcohol, in effect creating 100 bars that fed into the carnival as a whole, increasing the risk of crime and disorder and putting public safety at risk.
This suggests that objections to TENs for alcohol sales during Carnival are not uncommon and have been a concern in previous years.
The Noise and Nuisance Team echoed these concerns, arguing that the proposed temporary structure and queuing customers could exacerbate existing congestion on the public highway, creating an obstruction and adversely impacting crowd movement. They specifically stated that Mr. Sako's risk assessment and event management plans did not adequately detail how risks to public safety, including queue management, would be mitigated.
Mr. David Joseph Sako, the applicant, argued that he had 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and a proven track record of running events at Notting Hill Carnival with zero incidents, zero complaints, and zero police intervention.
He clarified that the event would take place on his private forecourt, not the public highway, and that alcohol would be served in plastic cups for consumption within the designated area.
My setup is very simple. It's the forecourt plus the inside of the shop. The event takes place on the private forecourt, 204 Kensington Park Road, not on the public highway,
Mr. Sako stated. He described the forecourt as one meter and a half on the front of the shop, which is the front of the shop might be like, let's say, six meters, really.
He added that while he could easily fit 50, 60 people in the shop,
he was limiting the event to 20 people for safety and control. This proposed limit is significantly lower than the potential capacity of the shop's interior.
Mr. Sako also offered voluntary conditions including SIA licensed security, a Challenge 25
ID policy, and a maximum capacity of 20 people. He highlighted that he had run events at the exact same location last year during Carnival with zero incidents, zero complaints, and zero police intervention,
and that the police did not object last year.
Furthermore, he stated that Nothing had changed at this specific site that make it more risky.
Despite Mr. Sako's assurances and his history of incident-free events, the committee ultimately sided with the objections, refusing the TEN. The decision was made to promote public safety and prevent crime and disorder during the busy Carnival period.
The council's Statement of Licensing Policy indicates that for events during Notting Hill Carnival, they will pay particular attention to any application for a premises licence or to any TEN notification in this area, and its close proximity, that is intended to include the weekend of Notting Hill Carnival.
The policy also states that this Licensing Authority expects that applicants will include in their applications... Details of how they will control the numbers of people at their venue. This is particularly applicable to TEN where the user must demonstrate for safety purposes how they will ensure that the capacity limit of 499 is not exceeded.
Additionally, the policy expects applicants to discuss their event management plans with the police and local authority prior to submission, especially if sound systems are involved.
