New Hanwell Supermarket Fails to Get Alcohol Licence

Committee hears about problems with applicant at another venue

The Lavish Lounge in Southall. Picture: Google Streetview

May 22, 2025

An application to sell alcohol at a new Hanwell supermarket has been rejected, due in part to the applicant’s involvement in managing a separate venue. The Ealing Council Licensing Sub-Committee made the decision on Wednesday (21 May).

Bocian Supermarket, based at 130-132 Uxbridge Road, sought a licence to sell alcohol between 10am and 10pm, 7 days a week. This would be alongside a bakery, meat counter and general day-to-day items.

The premises are currently empty offices, however the applicant, Mr Paramjit Singh Grover, hopes to refurbish the site. According to licensing officer Mr Robert Dear, Mr Grover “is well-known to the licensing team as he still owns a premises in Southall that we’ve had numerous complaints about”.

He added, “We’ve had loud music emanating from the outside garden, fights, and regularly trading late…

“I last visited the premises on the 19th of April 2024, just after 9 o’clock, and I witnessed loud music being played in the outside garden, when condition 33 of that licence said no music was to be played externally.”

Mr Grover operates a shisha bar in Southall – Lavish Lounge on Norwood Road. According to licensing authorities within the council the venue has received numerous complaints.

He told the committee that he would be selling the bar and handing the licence over to someone else. However, when pushed on this the committee found he is still on the licence with no immediate date planned for a handover.

The site is within a special policy area. This means there is a presumption to refuse except in “exceptional circumstances” which councillors did not feel was met.

The Metropolitan Police also opposed the application, describing the area as “problematic” for the force. Sergeant Dimitri Kassar added: “Antisocial behaviour due to street drinkers… does have a negative impact on the community at large around there.”

In an attempt to quell concerns about excessive street drinking Mr Grover promised to restrict the sale of high strength beer, lager, or cider above 5.5 per cent. Additionally, no single cans or miniature bottles of alcohol would be sold.

Returning the decision, Councillor Gareth Shaw said, “The Lavish Lounge has previously not been in compliance with licensing… The panel did hear and consider that Mr Grover was in the process of selling the Lavish Lounge, however no explanations were provided as to why the breaches occurred. Therefore the panel did not believe that Mr Grover could uphold the licensing objectives”.

Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter