A Wandsworth licensing committee hearing collapsed last week when only three of 15 councillors turned up, leaving a local delicatessen’s alcohol licence application in limbo for another three weeks.
The Licensing Sub-Committee meeting on 29 January couldn’t proceed because it lacked the minimum number of members needed to make decisions. Sheen Polish Delicatessen, which had already satisfied police and trading standards concerns, now waits until 16 February for a rescheduled hearing.
With council elections just three months away in May 2026, voters may want to know which of their elected representatives aren’t showing up to do the job.
Only three showed up
The official attendance list shows 15 councillors were expected at the meeting. Only three were seen attending: Cllr Sana Jafri (L, Wandsworth Common), Cllr Maurice McLeod (L, Battersea Park), and Cllr Guy Humphries (C, Southfields).
The 12 councillors who didn’t appear on screen for the online meeting were: Katrina Ffrench (L, committee chair), Rosemary Birchall (C, Deputy Mayor), Ethan Brooks (C), Sarah Davies (L), Mark Justin (Reform UK), Jessica Lee (L), Norman Marshall (L), Jack Mayorcas (L), Denise Paul (L), Tom Pridham (C), Will Sweet (C), and Sarmila Varatharaj (L).
The council’s official Notice of Adjournment states the meeting was adjourned because there was “not a quorate available.” Council documents don’t specify the exact quorum requirement for the Wandsworth licensing committee.
A small clip of the webcast shows just four people logged into the meeting: the three councillors and Marianna Ritchie from Democratic Services. And the attendance sheet hasn’t been updated four days after the event.
Local business delayed
Sheen Polish Delicatessen had applied for its first premises licence to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises at 379 Upper Richmond Road. The business proposed operating hours of 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.
Metropolitan Police and Wandsworth Trading Standards initially raised concerns about crime prevention and child protection. The business agreed to extensive safeguards including CCTV with facial recognition, Challenge 25 age verification, no sales of high-strength single cans above 6% ABV, and staff training requirements. Both authorities withdrew their objections after these conditions were agreed.
One resident objection remained, citing concerns about people loitering outside the premises and bottles and rubbish being left in the area. The hearing was meant to resolve this single outstanding concern.
Instead, the democratic process failed because elected councillors didn’t show up. The business, which had done everything authorities asked, now waits another three weeks.
Second failure in two years
This isn’t the first time the Wandsworth licensing committee has failed to achieve quorum. In March 2024, a Licensing Committee meeting faced what official records described as “a significant procedural challenge due to a lack of quorum, which impacted decision-making capabilities.” That meeting couldn’t approve fee increases or previous meeting minutes.
The licensing committee’s attendance problems are part of wider concerns about council accountability and democratic processes that have emerged in recent months.
A quorum is the minimum number of committee members who must attend for a meeting to proceed legally. Without it, no decisions can be made, no votes taken, and no business conducted. It protects against small groups making decisions without wider representation and ensures democratic legitimacy.
Quorum failures waste time for applicants, objectors, and residents who prepare for meetings that can’t proceed. The Institute of Directors recommends giving meeting attendees plenty of notice, choosing days and times that work for members, and setting recurring meeting times to prevent double bookings.
What residents can do
The rescheduled hearing will take place on 16 February 2026. Residents can watch the webcast to verify whether enough councillors attend this time.
If concerned about committee attendance patterns, residents can:
- Contact their ward councillor to ask why attendance was so low. Full councillor contact details are available on the council website.
- Submit a formal complaint through the council’s complaints process. Stage 1 responses typically take 10-15 working days.
With council elections scheduled for May 2026, councillor attendance records form part of voters’ decisions about who to elect.
The council was contacted for comment about the quorum failure, why so few councillors attended, and whether attendance problems extend to other committees. No response had been received by publication.
There appears to be far less direct communication from my local councillors (of any political complexion) since Labour took over control from the Conservatives. Out of casual interest, I therefore did a quick count of the missing councillors in the case being reported here and of the 12 who did not appear, 7 were Labour, 4 were Conservative and 1 was Reform. Is that significant? It used to be the case until quite recently that if ever I contacted the 3 councillors covering my area, I could always rely on a speedy and far more importantly a proactive response. I just do not really feel that is the case now. This particular case shows a blatant disregard for local businesses struggling to keep going against seemingly impossible odds. No wonder local business people feel so disenfranchised at every level especially when they have tried to get temporary help with their Business Rates (during a period of illness) which is refused meaning the business is forced to close and then remains closed. Does Wandsworth Council understand how important local businesses are, or does it simply think of them as cash cows?