Sweet Peppa has won permission to serve alcohol at its Lordship Lane venue, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

A Caribbean restaurant’s bid to sell alcohol has been approved by councillors after measures were agreed to discourage street drinking.

Sweet Peppa, in Lordship Lane, Wood Green, has been granted a licence to sell alcohol alongside eat-in meals and takeaways from 12pm to 10.30pm on Monday to Thursday and from 12pm until 10pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

Two residents objected to the plans, fearing they would lead to more crime, street drinking and other anti-social behaviour in the area.

Rachel Powell, who runs the restaurant, told a meeting of Haringey Council’s licensing subcommittee on 17th August that the people causing a nuisance on the street were not her customers and were “stopping business”.

She explained that she wanted to sell traditional Caribbean drinks such as Guinness Punch and Rum Slush to accompany meals and was not trying to encourage “binge drinking”.

The committee agreed to grant the licence with a range of safeguards attached to protect children and ensure alcohol sales do not cause a nuisance.

These include conditions that any alcoholic drinks taken from the premises must be in closed or sealed containers and that staff are given training on alcohol sales and crime prevention.

Customers will be asked to show ID if they look under 25, notices at the exits will ask people to leave the area quietly, and the licence holder will provide residents with a contact telephone number and email address allowing them to raise concerns.

The committee’s decision is subject to a 21-day appeal period before it can take effect.

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