Locals oppose Sipsmith licence extension
Suntory Global Spirits-owned gin producer Sipsmith has submitted a new premises licence application for its flagship distillery in Chiswick, west London, which has been met by objections from local residents.
The distillery, which first opened in 2014, is located on Cranbrook Road, a small residential street in Chiswick just off the district’s High Road.
In 2015, the brand applied to the local council for permission to sell alcohol between 12pm and 1am Monday to Saturday for private pre-booked events.
After complaints from residents who said the proposal would affect quality of life in what is a “quiet family area”, the distillery amended the application to seek a licence between 12pm and 8pm Monday to Saturday, with permission to host tour groups of up to 45 people.
Despite the compromise, the council granted Sipsmith a licence from 5pm to 7pm on weekdays only, with a restriction of 25 people on site at one time.
The latest licensing application from Sipsmith has requested permission to sell alcohol for consumption both on and off the premises from 12pm to 9pm on every day of the week, starting ‘ASAP’.
The application, submitted on 15 December 2025, stated: “Due to changing customer demands, a new premises licence application has been applied for to better fit the client’s operation in an evolving economic climate. A residents meeting has been held with local residents prior to submission, to advise them of the changes and to commit Sipsmiths’ future to the distillery in the community.”
The proposal also includes increasing the number of pre-booked distillery tours to three per day during the week and two on Saturdays, with a maximum capacity of 35 guests per tour.
With the application, Sipsmith included information on how it would meet all conditions of an extended licence, addressing the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.
These measures include: the implementation of a CCTV system with 31-day recording retention, the maintenance of a detailed incident log, and protocols for preserving crime scenes in the event of an assault; all guests to be escorted to the main gates when leaving the premises to minimise noise and disturbance to local residents; the ‘challenge 25’ scheme in place with all staff fully trained to ensure they comply with the law in relation to underage sales; all alcohol for consumption on the premises only supplied to persons attending a pre-booked tour of the distillery or attending a private pre-booked private tour; and no individual miniatures (50ml) to be sold for immediate consumption off the premises, save for miniatures provided within the gift bag of tour guests.
Local fears
However, once again, the proposal has met with significant resistance from a large portion of the neighbourhood.
According to local publication Chiswick W4, dozens of formal objections have been filed, citing concerns over public nuisance, public safety, and the “material intensification” of alcohol-led activity in a street home to approximately 60 residential properties.
More than 50 comments are said to have been submitted in opposition to the application, with objectors arguing that the narrow, one-way street cannot accommodate the increased footfall, taxi movements, and potential noise from evening and weekend tours.
One resident wrote: “The immediate vicinity comprises approximately 60 residential properties, including more than 30 flats (including social housing), many of which directly back onto the premises. Residents would therefore be directly affected by any increase in alcohol-related activity.”
They added: “The application seeks to introduce routine alcohol consumption into evenings and Saturdays and Sundays, materially intensifying use compared with the previously accepted operating model.
“This gives rise to credible risks of evening and weekend noise, on-street congregation, taxi movements, congestion affecting emergency access, and disturbance incompatible with the quiet enjoyment of nearby homes and gardens.”
Another complaint alleged: “What they propose now is to turn their premises from an industrial unit into a gin theme park.”
There are also fears that the licence could allow for amplified music and larger crowds of up to 500 people under national deregulation laws, effectively turning the site into a “de facto events venue”.
However, the application has found support from one neighbour who praised Sipsmith as a “decent” and “good neighbour” that has respected the area since its arrival.
The resident wrote: “I feel that Sipsmith as a local business should be encouraged to continue their efforts to maintain a sustainable business, even if that includes revisions to the licence already granted to them, and I wholeheartedly support them.
“The clientele they attract are not the type of person who cause harm or are antisocial in any way. As far as I am aware, there has never been an issue with noise pollution or other issues that detract from the peacefulness of a residential area.
“Upon speaking to other neighbours, both closer to the venue and further away, as our road is rather long, many have no objection to the application that has been submitted, contrary to what some of the residents opposing would have everyone believe.”
The Metropolitan Police has not objected to the application but has mandated the strict conditions that Sipsmith has agreed to adopt, as listed above.
The Spirits Business has contacted Sipsmith for comment and is awaiting reply.
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