Islington Council imposes tighter licensing conditions on London club Reina

01 Jan 2018

Licensing

Islington Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee has imposed significant new restrictions on the license of Club Reina, a late night venue which, together with its attached restaurant Best Mangal, occupies a prominent location on Smithfield Market adjacent to the well-known nightclub Fabric.

The case is notable for the large number of changes and restrictions imposed. These conditions were added despite the licence holder’s submissions that the economic effects would be punitive.
The Metropolitan Police applied for a review of the premises licence in September 2017, following a series of increasingly violent incidents at the club.

Since September 2016 there had been 17 reports of alleged criminal offences at the premises, including numerous assaults, some involving actual and grievous bodily harm, affray and public disorder. Matters culminated in a serious incident on Charterhouse Street in the early hours of 1 September 2017, when widescale disorder erupted between clientele from the club and members of the public, armed with baseball bats, chains and other weapons.

Following a hearing on 9 November 2017, the Council’s Sub-Committee agreed with the Police that it was appropriate and proportionate to overhaul the licence by adding numerous additional conditions and imposing a range of restrictions on the premises’ licensable activities.

The club will now be required to have earlier last entry, last orders and closing times; to impose a minimum age limit for customers; to increase its ratio of door supervisors; to improve its cooperation with the police and licensing authority in taking bookings and responding to incidents; to replace its Designated Premises Supervisor and to remove its events manager from day-to-day operations, amongst others.

Club Reina lies in the heart of the Clerkenwell cumulative impact area created by Islington’s licensing policy, and the facts of this case show how unlawful behaviour by the public combined with poor management of premises can significantly impact areas which are already under stress.

Tara O’Leary acted for the Metropolitan Police, instructed by Sally Gilchrist.