Casino's alcohol licence extended at weekends

The Victoria requested an amendment to allow it to sell alcohol until 6am on Saturday and Sunday

A casino has been granted permission to sell alcohol until 6am at the weekend.

The Grosvenor Victoria casino on Edgware Road, in central London, requested an amendment to its Saturday and Sunday licence to allow it to sell alcohol until 06:00 - as it already does for the other five days of the week.

The applicant said it was “not looking to change who our target customers are” and that the move would not bring more people into the premises, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Currently the casino and its poker room are only able to sell alcohol until 04:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.

'Continuous pushing for more'

Two applications were made to Westminster City Council, filed by Grosvenor Casinos for the casino and The Gaming Group for the poker room, which sought to change the existing conditions relating to the sale of alcohol.

At a Westminster Licensing Sub-Committee meeting at the end of August, Peter Whur, legal counsel for the applicant, said the change would bring them in line with the rest of the week and that no responsible authority had objected.

“It won’t bring more people in, people are already there, the premises are open 24-7,” he said.

Peter Turpin, general manager at the casino, said: “We are not looking to change who our target customers are.”

However, objections were submitted by both the Hyde Park Estate Association and Marylebone ward councillors.

The association said the application of “very late or all-night alcohol licences does not belong in areas next door to a high density of residential homes”, adding: “We have to keep that balance between business and allowing those living close by to a reasonable peaceful night’s sleep.”

The submission from the Marylebone ward councillors, who while not listed in the objection are Barbara Arzymanow, Ian Rowley and Karen Scarborough, refers to the “continuous pushing for more from these and the neighbouring gambling premises on Edgware Road”.

An immediate decision was not announced at the committee meeting and the full notices are still due to be published on the council website, although the Local Democracy Reporting Service was told both applications were approved.