Council approves alcohol license for St Mary's Walthamstow

The church says a full alcohol licence will give it more flexibility to host more fundraising and outreach events, having regularly reached its current limit of 15 events each year, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

St Mary’s Walthamstow has been granted permission to host more private events to sustain its outreach and community programmes.

Waltham Forest Council today (11th September) granted the church a license to serve alcohol and show films from midday until 10.30pm, and to push its closing time back from 4pm until 11pm.

While this licence applies to all seven days of the week, the church told the licensing committee events would not be daily occurrences.

In its application, St Mary’s described its schedule as “irregular”.

Venues are allowed to apply for 15 temporary events notices (TENs) a year, which allow them to operate beyond their hours for special events – such as film screenings or functions where they will serve alcohol.

A full licence will give the church flexibility to host fundraising and outreach events, having regularly reached the TEN limit each year, representatives said.

Over the past year, the church has hosted two live recordings of BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, several Christmas performances by the Norrsang Swedish choir, multiple Forest Choir concerts, a craft fair, and a screening of the Walthamstow documentary film Power Station followed by a discussion with the filmmakers.

It costs the church – Walthamstow’s oldest building – around £250,000 a year to operate, and the organisation functions as an independent charity under the Church of England.

The licence would open it up to hosting more events and covering its “very high” overheads and raise much-needed funds, it says.

St Mary’s representatives told the committee it has never received a “substantial complaint” about noise or litter, but three objectors, who live in the neighbouring Monoux Almshouse, attended the meeting to present their views against the scheme.

Resident Mary Fahey was the only person to submit a formal objection, though she said it was submitted on behalf of many residents who felt the same.

She said she had been “shocked” by the application, but was reassured after the church said it will not host such events every day due to worship commitments.

Objectors are “not party-poopers,” she added, but wanted some acknowledgement that there could be “fallout” from letting people drink. The area was already blighted by antisocial behaviour, she said, but this was not linked to the church.

In her formal objection, she expressed concern the events could impact residents’ “privacy and peace of mind,” but acknowledged later they were “quite lowkey” in nature.

She told the committee a petition in favour of a three-day licence over a seven-day licence had received 200 signatures from locals, but this did not go before the committee due to a reported clerical error.

St Mary’s said it would address concerns about litter by imposing a condition legally requiring them to collect rubbish after events. Volunteers already pick up litter left in the church by members of the public passing by.

In a bid to ease concerns from locals, the council imposed a condition prohibiting attendees from drinking alcohol outside at 9pm.

Councillors also made a non-binding recommendation the church limits smokers to eight at a time and ensures the smoking area is at least 20 metres from any homes.

Additionally, they recommended the church shares its schedule with residents of the almshouse once a month.

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