Agenda and draft minutes

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It was RESOLVED that Cllr R Cheadle be appointed Chairman for the duration of the Sub-Committee meeting.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct, Members are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests and Non-Registerable Interests including the nature and extent of such interests they may have in any items to be considered at this meeting;

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There were no declarations of interest declared

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The Senior Licensing Officer introduced the report and set out the reasons for the Sub-Committee being required to determine this application. In February 2024, the Licencing Office received an application to review the premises license at Rajpoot Restaurant from the Home Office Immigration Enforcement Team. The Premises Licence holder had failed to meet the licensing objectives of prevention of crime and disorder due to illegal working being found at the premises when visited by the Immigration Enforcement Officers on four occasions since 2016.

The Immigration Enforcement Officer read out some key points from his report on the investigations that were carried out at the premises. He stated that employing illegal workers undermines the licensing objectives. Immigration enforcement is intelligence led and there would need to be sufficient concerns for them to investigate. They found four people who were working illegally on the visits made. Overall, fourteen people had been found to be working at the premises since 2016 without the required permission. Civil penalties totally £215k had not been paid.

The DPS of the premises made his representation. He stated the Immigration Enforcement Offices had visited the premises a total of five times since 2020 and they found no illegal working taking place.

The Immigration Officer stated that whilst the extant order was in place, they found another illegal worker on the premises in 2023 and they were arrested. Another civil penalty was evoked as part of that.

The Committee adjourned at 10.20am. On their return they read out their decision in the following statement:

We are here to consider the prevention of crime and disorder in association with licensing arrangement at this premises. We are concerned about the continued employment of illegal workers at the establishment. We have therefore concluded that we shall remove the Designated Premises Supervisor and revoke the premises license.

This will be confirmed in writing and there will be 21 days in which to appeal against this decision to a Magistrates Court.