Camden revokes premises licence of Whitfield Street restaurant

A Camden Council licensing panel has stripped Sican restaurant in Whitfield Street, Fitzrovia of its premises licence after hearing evidence of noise nuisance and crime and disorder at the premises, including reports of customers fighting in the street.

A group of 38 local residents initiated a review of the premises licence last autumn after enduring more than a year of late night and early morning disturbance from the venue, which was being run by the company Sican Limited.

The residents’ action was supported by the Police licensing authority, the council’s own licensing authority, environmental health authority, and the Home Office who had found people working illegally at the premises.

During the public consultation on the application to review the premises licence, Camden received 59 representations detailing noise, drunken behaviour and violence from customers. But the council also received 91 comments in support of the restaurant and bar saying it was a well-run establishment.

Local residents brought the action against the restaurant on behalf of neighbours in Whitfield Street and Colville Place, asked the licensing panel to shorten the opening hours of the premises and attach conditions to the licence in the hope that these measures would stem the nuisance and crime that was occurring. But they stopped short of asking for the premises to be closed.

However, after reading the written evidence and hearing verbal accounts during the meeting the licensing panel of Cllr Matthew Kirk and Cllr Sylvia McNamara agreed that reducing the hours and adding conditions was not enough and decided to revoke the licence due to the level of public nuisance and crime and disorder at the premises.

The venue is allowed to remain open pending an appeal on the decision to the magistrates court.

Camden Council, Licensing Panel C, Thursday, 23 January 2025. Agenda. Webcast.

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