Highgate licensing issues

The Society has recently been involved in some licensing issues:

The Prince of Wales applied to extend its opening hours from midnight until 1.30am.  This would have meant that it opened later than any of the other public houses in Highgate High Street.  The application generated 40 representations from local residents objecting to the later hours, including one from the Society.  A High Street resident who is also a solicitor specialising in licensing matters agreed to represent us pro bono, but in the end negotiation led to the withdrawal of the application at the last minute before the hearing on 5 December.  So it remains the case that none of the High Street pubs can sell alcohol after midnight.

The business trading from the old post office in the High Street was issued with a penalty notice for street trading without a licence.  In fact, like several other shops in the High Street, they were displaying their goods on their own property in front of the shop, for which no licence is needed.  The Society provided the owner of the shop with advice which enabled him to challenge the penalty notice, which has been withdrawn as a result.

Camden will be consulting on a revised licensing policy, which includes a proposal to extend the ‘framework hours’ – the usual hours for licensed premises in the Borough – by half an hour.  While that later extension may be appropriate for Camden Town and the parts of Soho which are in Camden, we do not think it is appropriate for places like Highgate, or indeed Hampstead.  We shall respond to the consultation accordingly.