Forum topic: Petition launched after Fox loses its entertainment licence

Following the suspension of the Fox's entertainment licence because of complaints from neighbours, an online petition to Enfield Council in support of permitting live music has amassed more than a thousand signatures.

In response to complaints from some residents of the flats built on the Fox's former car park, the council has suspended and is reviewing the licence which allows the Fox to put on live music events. This has come as a blow not just to the its management and to the musicians who play there, but more importantly also to the many local residents who have welcomed the reopening of Palmers Green's landmark pub and its community room, notable for being the first premises in the London Borough of Enfield to be recognised and registered as a Community Asset.

Information about the review and about how residents can make representations (deadline 15th January) has been posted on the exterior of the pub. The wording of the notice is reproduced below.

Premises: The Fox, 413 Green Lanes, London N13 4JD

Notice is given that application has been made for a review the premises licence (under s.51(3), s.87(3) or s.167 to the (Licensing Act 2003) in respect of the above premises. The grounds for review are:

• There have been several noise complaints regarding live and recorded music from this premises, which have led to officers witnessing a breach of a statutory nuisance abatement notice.
• The review by the Council's Licensing Enforcement Team seeks to disapply the automatic entitlement of regulated entertainment byapplying a condition to that effect to the premises licence, which would mean regulated entertainment was not permitted a the premises at any time.
• The premises have been advised on several occasions.
• This review application is submitted in promotion of the prevention ofpublic nuisance licensing.

Anyone who wishes to make representations regarding this application must give notice by emailing:

Representations must be made between 19 December 2023 and 15 January 2024.

The public register can be accessed online by visiting www.enfield.gov.uk/services/business-and-licensing and following the link to the Licensing Register. The application can be inspected upon request to within the 28 days consultation period, dated above.

It is an offence, under section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application for a premises licence. A person guilty of an offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level five on the standard scale.

In response, the Fox's manager, James Sharkey, has launched an online petition calling on Enfield Council to allow the pub to retain its music licence, arguing that it is a "cornerstone of the community" and "an integral part of our cultural fabric that brings together people from all walks of life through its music events". At the time of writing, 1,033 people had signed the petition.

The fact that for many decades the Fox's community room at the rear of the pub had served as a focal point for both private and community events was probably the decisive argument in the successful application for registration as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) in 2015. As a consequence, when, 18 months later, Star Pubs & Bars launched a series of consultations about building flats on the site, a new community room was part of the plan from the outset. Indeed, it is quite possible that, were it not for the ACV, instead of providing for a "resized" (ie smaller) pub, the owners might have chosen to maximise their profits by demolishing the Fox to make room for a larger multistorey block of flats. Palmers Green would have lost an unusual architectural landmark and a key venue where members of the community can come together.

Since the Fox reopened eleven months ago, the community room has been in regular use. Notably, it has brought internationally renowned musicians to Palmers Green to perform in the regular Jazz Mondays. Simon Purcell from Kaiyo Jazz says these have benefited residents, musicians and local businesses:

"Jazz Mondays at the Fox have provided access to top jazz artists in our community, at affordable prices. There are so many reasons why this needs to continue, not least location, access and affordability (no need to venture into central London) and what we are trying to do with local enthusiasts and local businesses.

"Musicians have suffered immeasurably since the worst of Covid and Jazz Mondays at the Fox was becoming a sustainable, community-based music project, attractive to listeners and the local community."