Negotiating a compromise for a potential expedited review

In the summer of 2020, a serious and large-scale fight broke out in the roof top bar of a high-end central London venue.

Such was the seriousness of the fight, the police threatened to issue an expedited review which could have seen the premises closing within 48 hours of a full licensing review hearing.

Partner Lisa Sharkey acted swiftly and immediately contacted the police to negotiate a compromise, as Lisa knew that closing the premises after a three month COVID 19 lock down would have been a huge financial hit for the operator.

Lisa agreed some temporary changes to the operation via a minor variation application.

This included a temporary reduction in hours, additional door staff and a ‘picker’; which is someone who actively scans approaching people and decides if they are suitable for entry or not.

Over a short period of time, Lisa then worked closely with the police and achieved a relaxation of the measures, and importantly, this included a return to the original trading hours.

This was a fantastic result which allowed the venue to keep trading after being closed for the three month lockdown.

This is also highly unusual as approx. 90% of expedited reviews result in a revocation of a premises licence and venue closure.

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