Agenda item

To consider a new premises application for Medway Superstore, 75 Richmond Road, Gillingham, Kent following the submission of a representation, received during the consultation period.

1 September 2026

Due to the applicant being unavailable, the Panel adjourned the hearing to Tuesday 29 September 2026.

29 September 2026

Discussion:

The Licensing Officer informed the Panel that the applicant had applied for a new Premises Licence at Medway Superstore, 75 Richmond Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1LS. All responsible authorities had been consulted in line with the Licensing Act 2003, and a representation had been received from a member of the public and no representations had been received from the responsible authorities. The member of public could not attend but would like the evidence considered in his absence. Communications between the applicant and the member of public were included in the appendices.

The new premises licence application was for the sale by retail of alcohol (off sales) Monday to Sunday 06:00 to 23:00.

The Chairperson invited the applicant and representativesto speak in support of their application.

The representative for the applicant informed the Panel that the Applicant was an experienced Personal Licence Holder and both him and his brother Mehmet responsibly operated other premises in the local area.

The Panel were informed that the new application was due to the relocation of an existing shop as the existing premises were being developed into flats. The representative explained that once the move to the new premises takes place the applicant will surrender the existing licence and therefore the new premises will not have any cumulative impact.

The Panel were informed that standards conditions were proposed including CCTV, training of staff and Challenge 25. An additional condition was proposed at Appendix E regarding unaccompanied school children and the representative explained that the application would not undermine the licensing objectives if granted.

The representative drew the Panels attention to the absence of any representations from the Responsible Authorities from which it could be inferred that there were no causes for concern. With regards to the concerns raised by the member of the public, litter in the area could not be attributed to the premises as they were not open yet and the applicant was committed to regularly cleaning the area near the premises.

The Panel were informed that the applicant was experienced in operating premises in the area, was invested in and supported the local community and employed local people.

The Chairperson noted the written objections that had been included at Appendices C and F to the report and that the objector was not in attendance.

The Panel queried the hours requested for the sale of alcohol and why the start time was 06:00.

The applicant and representative explained that the proposed hours of 06:00 to 23:00 allowed the licensable hours to align with opening times and allowed the premises to provide a full offer of goods and alcohol, although early sales did not happen very often. The Panel were informed that the applicant knew their customer base well and the sale of alcohol in the morning would be as an ancillary product which help sales add up.

If minded to grant the licence from 06:00, the representative explained that the applicant would be happy to ensure alcohol was kept in a secure cabinet until 09:00 and only opened by staff on request to allow early purchases but in a controlled manner.

With regards to the existing licence held at 124 Richmond Road, the applicant confirmed they would be surrendering the licence once they have moved into the new premises at 75 Richmond Road and they had been served notice to leave the premises at 124 Richmond Road.

The Panel confirmed that conditions regarding a limit on the strength of alcohol or on the sale of single cans were not included in the application.

In summing up the representative explained that the applicant was an experienced retailer with a good knowledge of the industry and the local area who had invested in the premises, promoting economic growth. The Panel were informed that the representation received did not provide any significant evidence as to why the licence should not be granted and the applicant was happy for conditions regarding cleaning external areas and keeping alcohol secure until 09:00 to be added.

With the exception of the Legal Representative and the Democratic Services Officer, all present left the room during the Panel’s deliberations, returning to hear the Panel’s decision.

Decision:

The Panel had carefully considered the papers before them and had heard from the applicant and their representative. The Panel considered the objection to the licence being granted and understood the concerns raised.

Having questioned the applicant and their representative, the Panel were satisfied that the applicant had the licensing objectives in mind and that they had offered additional conditions to ensure that these are met.

The Panel therefore granted the premises licence for the hours applied for in respect of Medway Superstore, 75 Richmond Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1LS with the addition of the following conditions:

-       All fridges/chillers containing alcohol should remain locked between 23:00 and 09:00 and not be opened between 06:00 and 09:00 unless requested to do so by a customer to allow the purchase of alcohol.

-       Staff shall ensure that the area outside the premises will be cleared of any litter and kept clean on a regular basis.

-       No more than three unaccompanied school-age children shall be permitted inside the premises at any one time. Staff shall monitor entry to the premises and take reasonable steps to ensure compliance with this condition, and appropriate signage will be prominently displayed.

The Panel did consider restricting the sale of single cans but given the applicant’s good track record and lack of evidence regarding the potential impact of this it was not added as a condition however the applicant was advised to be mindful of the sale of single cans.