A Portuguese cafe on St John's Street, a 3am pizza licence in Haverhill, a Brandon gift shop and a 6am Budgens. Comment deadlines start on Monday 24 August.
Four premises licence applications are open for comment at West Suffolk Council, and the first deadline falls on Monday 24 August. Anyone can object, but only on specific grounds, and only in writing before the date on each notice.
The four are:
- a Portuguese cafe and delicatessen in Bury St Edmunds town centre
- a pizza shop in Haverhill asking to serve until 3am
- a Brandon gift shop that wants to sell local beer and wine
- a village Budgens seeking a 6am start
Mimo, 1A St John’s Street, Bury St Edmunds
Ruben Goncalves, applying as a sole trader trading as Mimo, has asked for a new premises licence at 1A St John’s Street. The application describes a small independent Portuguese cafe and delicatessen on the ground floor.
The plan set out in the application:
- espresso-based coffee, traditional Portuguese baking and pastries, sandwiches, toasties, salgados, salads, and cheese and charcuterie boards
- a retail shelf of Portuguese groceries, tinned fish, olive oil, coffee and wine
- one ground-floor trading room with four tables seating about 10, plus a raised timber deck at the front seating about 8
- a maximum capacity of 20 people
The hours applied for are 8am to 11pm every day, with alcohol sales on and off the premises from 9am to 11pm. The application says actual trading is expected to be roughly 8am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday. The wider hours are sought for three things:
- occasional pre-booked evening supper clubs
- extended trading at Christmas
- packaged alcohol sold as part of daytime shopping
On the point objectors usually raise, the application is explicit. Alcohol on the premises will be served to seated customers only, mainly Portuguese wine and beer alongside food. There will be no vertical drinking. The application states the premises will not operate as a bar or a public house, and that the site is not in a cumulative impact area. The premises has a non-domestic rateable value of £9,500.
The licence is requested to start on 18 September 2026. Representations close on 16 September, the latest of the four.
Papa Johns, 36 High Street, Haverhill
Maldon PJ Ltd has applied for a new licence at 36 High Street, Haverhill, for late night refreshment from 11pm to 3am, Monday to Sunday. That is the only licensable activity sought; there is no application to sell alcohol.
The application describes the premises as a pizza shop offering delivery and collection, with a small customer area, a counter, and the pizza preparation and oven area behind it. The licence is requested to start on 31 August 2026.
Representations close on 27 August, this coming Thursday.
Gifted, 11-11A London Road, Brandon
Christopher Allen has applied for a new licence at 11-11A London Road, Brandon. The application is short and specific. It is a gift shop that wants to stock a small range of local craft beers, ciders, wine and spirits as gifts. They would sit on a shelving unit just off the main shop area.
The hours sought are 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, for sales on and off the premises, with a set of named exceptions taking trading to 9pm:
- tasting evenings for local wines, beers and spirits, up to 12 a year
- late night shopping days near Christmas
- every Thursday in December
Representations close on 26 August, this Wednesday.
Budgens, 40 Bury Road, Barrow
Vinayaka Private Ltd has applied to vary the existing licence at the Budgens in Barrow. It wants to extend alcohol sales to 6am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, and 7am to 10pm on Sunday.
The application gives the reason in the applicant’s own words: “We would like to open the shop and sell alcohol earlier … as it will help our business growth. In the area some people finishing night shifts they would like to have some refreshments before going to bed.”
Representations close on Monday 24 August, the first of the four deadlines.
What it means for you
If you want to comment on any of these, the rules are narrower than most people expect. Under the Licensing Act 2003 a representation only counts if it addresses the likely effect of granting the application on one or more of the four licensing objectives:
- the prevention of crime and disorder
- public safety
- the prevention of public nuisance
- the protection of children from harm
Objections about parking, competition with an existing business, or a general dislike of the plan are not relevant representations and will not be considered. The comment has to be about the effect of the licensable activities carried on at the premises.
Representations must be in writing, and must arrive before the closing date on the relevant notice. Send them to West Suffolk Council at West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3YU, or by email to licensing@westsuffolk.gov.uk. If a valid representation is received, the application goes to a licensing sub-committee rather than being granted by officers. If none is received, the council must grant the licence as applied for.
The full applications, plans and public notices for all four are published on the council’s current premises licence applications page, and the page is updated as applications come and go.
Sources
- Current premises licence applications, West Suffolk Council, for the four live applications and their representation deadlines.
- Mimo public notice and Mimo application form, for the applicant, hours, description of the premises, capacity, rateable value and intended trading.
- Papa Johns public notice and application form, for the late night refreshment hours, the premises description and the start date.
- Gifted public notice and application form, for the hours, the tasting-evening exceptions and the description of the shop.
- Budgens public notice and variation application, for the extended hours sought and the applicant’s stated reason.
Applications are proposals. None of these licences has been granted, and the details above are what each applicant has asked for, not what the council has decided.
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