Agenda, decisions and minutes

Resolved: That Councillor Nicholls be elected to act as Chair of the hearing.

To receive and note apologies for absence.

No apologies for absence were received.

Introductions were made.

At this point in the meeting, Members and co-opted members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest, or other registerable interest, they might have in respect of business on this agenda, if they have not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

[Please see attached sheet for further guidance for Members].

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest or other registerable interest they might have in respect of business on the agenda if they had not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. None were declared.

To consider excluding the Press and Public during the sub-committee’s deliberations and decision-making at the end of the hearing, on the grounds that the public interest in excluding the public outweighs the public interest in that part of the meeting taking place in public, under Regulation 14 of the Licensing Act 2003 (Hearings) Regulations 2005.

Resolved: That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the sub-committee’s deliberations and decision making at the end of the hearing, on the grounds that the public interest in excluding the public outweighs the public interest in that part of the meeting taking place in public, under Regulation 14 of the Licensing Act 2003 (Hearings) Regulations 2005.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Licensing Hearingheld on 13 November 2025.

Resolved: That the minutes of the Licensing Hearing held on held on 13 November 2025 be approved as a correct record subject to the following amendment:

·      That the spelling of LBGTQUIA+ within section 7, the representation of the Licensing Authority, be corrected as LGBTQIA+.

The Sub-Committee resolved to grant the licence for the following activities and timings with modified/additional conditions imposed by the Sub-Committee (Option 2) as set out below:

The Operating Schedule conditions contained on pages 5 to 7 of Agenda Supplement 2 – Additional information from the Solicitor to the Applicant, published on 9 April 2026, shall be added to the licence SUBJECT TO the following modified and additional conditions:

Modified conditions

(a)  Minimum seating capacity at the premises when the premises is open and operating as follows:

Lower floor – 60

Upper Floor – 20

Outside terrace areas - the minimum number of seats provided for customer use when the terraces are open to the public (when the weather permits) are: lower terrace 20 and upper terrace 40.

(b)  Condition 21:

Signs shall be displayed near the exits reminding customers to respect the needs of those living nearby and to leave the premises as quietly as possible.

No outdoor speakers or TV screens will be used at any time.

Deliveries of alcohol will be made to from Lendal and shall not be made down the side of Guildhall.

No bottles to be removed from the premises into outside bottle bins during office hours of 08:00 to 18:00 hours Monday to Friday when this could disturb local businesses.

The manager will ensure that each day an area laid out to tables and chairs on the lower terrace (as agreed with the Landlords) will be set aside and reserved for staff of businesses overlooking the terrace from 9:00 to 17:00 hours Monday to Friday for the consumption of their own food and soft drinks.

(c)  Condition 25

In all parts of the premises where alcohol is sold or supplied for consumption on the premises the premises shall be predominantly food led and as a minimum a substantial food and non-intoxicating beverages including water shall be available to order between 10:00 and 21:00 hours. For the avoidance of doubt, a substantial food menu shall be available to order between these hours each day.

Additional conditions

(d)  Alcohol consumed on the outside terrace areas shall only be consumed by customers seated at tables. For the avoidance of doubt, there shall be no vertical drinking of alcohol in any delineated external area as shown on the plan attached to the licence.

(e)  Smoking and vaping by customers must be restricted to a designated smoking/vaping area away from the neighbouring offices.

The licence is also subject to the mandatory conditions applicable to licensed premises.

Resolved: That prior to hearing representations, the Sub-Committee would adjourn the hearing in order to undertake a site visit of the premises.

[The hearing reconvened at 10:45am]

Members considered an application by Leeds Tap Ltd. for a Determination of Application for Premises Licence in respect of Mittel River Restaurant, York Guildhall Restaurant, Lendal, York, YO1 8AA. In considering the application and the representations made, the Sub-Committee concluded that the following licensing objectives were relevant to the Hearing:

1.    Prevention of Crime and Disorder.

2.    Public Safety.

3.    Prevention of Public Nuisance.

In coming to their decision, the Sub-Committee took into consideration all the evidence and submissions that were presented, and determined their relevance to the issues raised and the above licensing objectives, including:

1. The application form.

2. The papers before it including the written representations received from neighbouring businesses and responsible authorities, and the additional information provided by the Applicant, as seen in the agenda supplements.

3. The Licensing Manager’s report and her comments at the Hearing.

The Licensing Manager outlined the report and the annexes noting that the application was for the licensing of a ‘Gastro-brewpub’, and detailed the timings applied for. The Licensing Manager confirmed that the premises was located within the Cumulative Impact Area (CIA) and directed members to the representations made at Annexes 5, 6, 7, and 9, and the additional information provided by the Applicant. She then advised the Sub-Committee of the options open to them in determining the application.

In response to questions from North Yorkshire Police, as a Responsible Authority, the Licensing Manager confirmed that:

·      The Amber and Red Zones, as described within paragraphs 9.13 and 9.14 of Annex 4, Licensing Policy Extract, had been taken from an out-of-date policy, and had now been superseded by the Statement of Licensing Policy 2025-2030, which was duly shared with those in attendance at the hearing.

·      The hours detailed within the report were those as applied for and did not account for the additional information provided by the Applicant.

4.    The Applicant’s representation at the hearing.

Piers Warne, the Solicitor for the Applicant, and Jamie Hawksworth, on behalf of the Applicant, presented their case to the Sub-Committee and confirmed that in relation to their application, they would only refer to details presented within Supplement 2 - Additional information from the Solicitor to the Applicant where these differed to details within their application.

Mr Warne highlighted that the hours set out within Supplement 2 - Additional information from the Solicitor to the Applicant had been made within guidelines worked up with North Yorkshire Police, and that the hours applied for should be corrected to 10:00 – 00:00 hours, and not 08:00 – 00:00 hours.

Mr Warne stated that there would be a degree of control through the landlord for the premises being the landlord for neighbouring business, which would mitigate risk and increase mediation.

Mr Warne also stated that Mr Hawksworth was a part of the fabric of hospitality in York due to him being  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.