Community venue in Ponders End granted alcohol licence

The Turkish ‘social solidarity’ association has around 480 members across London, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Ingiltere Tavla Koyu Sosyal Dayanisma Dernegi in Queensway Road, Ponders End (credit Google)

A community venue in Ponders End has been granted a licence by Enfield Council to sell alcohol at member-organised events.

Ingiltere Tavla Koyu Sosyal Dayanisma Dernegi was granted a premises licence by the local authority’s licensing subcommittee yesterday (Wednesday 29th), subject to stipulations surrounding safety and event management.

The Turkish ‘social solidarity’ association, which has around 480 members in London, will now have permission to sell alcohol at its Queensway building during events.

Hiring of the venue, which has a maximum capacity of just over 200 seats, will be reserved for members and restricted to table service.

Robert Sutherland, consultant solicitor for the application, said the licence would support the work of the community interest company (CIC) which operates the venue.

The CIC describes itself as a “non-profit making community centre providing events and activities for both adults and children”.

Sutherland said that “there was no intention at all” to allow non-affiliated members of the public to hire the venue.

“We’re not talking about a club, or a members club, where people are just going to go along to drink”, Sutherland argued, adding: “It’s a very regulated place. It’s not somewhere where you can just turn up”.

Instead, he said the premises would be used for specific events such as birthday parties and “significant life events”, such as wakes.

The designated premises supervisor (DPS) for the venue will be Kenan Yildirim. He told the licensing committee how the organisation provides services for eligible members of the Turkish community, including elderly people and children with learning disabilities.

The community centre is located at Unit 13 C-D of Queensway Industrial Estate, near Southbury Station. Some objectors to the application raised concerns about the safety of people attending events due to the volume of traffic in the area.

There were also concerns about litter caused by the venue’s attendees and an allegation that users of the centre had previously used other businesses’ bins when the duty manager had not been around.

Sutherland said the applicant had agreed to “quite an extensive set of conditions” to address concerns raised by councillors and members of the public.

Senior Conservative councillor Michael Rye, who chaired Wednesday’s committee meeting, announced that the application had been granted “in part”, subject to a number conditions aimed at addressing the issues raised.

The conditions include the applicant providing traffic management plans as well as an “adequately supervised” designated smoking area for up to seven people. In addition, no children are to be allowed outside the premises unless accompanied by an adult.

Cllr Rye also said that either the duty manager, a committee member or an authorised member of staff will be required to “actively discourage attendees congregating around the external premises”.

He added that organisers must also be contactable by phone during, and “at least 30 minutes after”, events. The contact number must be shared in advance of any event.

Before the decision, the applicant stated that the addition of weekly rubbish collections would be used to prevent future littering issues at the venue.

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