In a great success for people power and what residents can achieve when they organise a proper campaign, the leading Premiership football club Chelsea FC has been compelled to withdraw two substantial applications for new premises licences to cover the concourse around the ground and erection of a huge tent within feet of residents premises which sought to have music and dancing and sale of alcohol until 01:00!!

I have been delighted to act for up to 350 residents in resisting two very shabby applications by the club which were ill thought through and submitted with scant regard to local opinion. After one hearing in front of the licensing committee at Hammersmith and Fulham and a late consultation meeting the club has determined not to proceed with the applications.

The residents organised a sensible campaign in this application to address noise nuisance, planning, public safety, crime and disorder and instructed experts to prepare reports compared to the club which had put little effort into its applications and were inviting the licensing committee to trust them on the basis of years of organising football matches and other events. This argument does not work in a leading licensing case like this. Leading football clubs should not take local residents for granted and in the cases on which I have acted for such clubs we have not done so.

If you are a leading FC and need advice on how to present a great application to licensing authorities do please give me a call at Keystone Law .