Olympia Promises to Be Good Neighbour to Secure Licence
Seeking permission to serve alcohol on site's rooftop public street
The Office Terrace at Olympia. Picture: Hufton Crow
October 9, 2026
The developer behind the £1.3 billion Olympia redevelopment has reassured residents it will act “proportionally, reasonably and appropriately” after fears from locals the area could start hosting outdoor events every day.
Applicant Olympus Property Holding Limited sought permission to sell alcohol from The Square, an open space on Emberton Walk, the site’s new rooftop public street. Concerns were raised by locals who fear the proposed licence will lead to an increase in issues such as drunken disorder, in what one objector described as a “dispersal corridor”.
Olympia had written in correspondence with the local authority, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, and objectors prior to Wednesday night’s sub-committee meeting (7 October) that the intention “is not to facilitate continuous activity throughout the day, every day of the year”.
A spokesperson for Olympia told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) The Square “will host seasonal programming and activations throughout the year, with no fixed or permanent activations planned in the space”.
The Olympia redevelopment began opening to much fanfare earlier this summer having been years in the making. The site was purchased by investment firms Yoo Capital, which is also behind the Shepherd’s Bush Market scheme, and Deutsche Finance International in 2017 for £296 million.
Once complete the revamp will deliver a range of hospitality venues, including the UK’s largest Italian restaurants, plus cultural spots such as the forthcoming British Airways Theatre.
Prior to the opening Hammersmith and Fulham Council had approved a slew of licensing applications for venues and areas across the site.
In July a new submission was filed with the local authority requesting permission to sell alcohol between 10am and 9pm from The Square. The area has had 10 series of temporary notices green-lit over the summer to allow for events to take place.
The latest application is intended to remove the need to seek such approvals, which can be exhausted and require new submissions every time. While the Met Police emailed the council’s licensing team confirming it did not object to the proposal, 17 objections were received during consultation.
One of these was from The Street Hub, representing residents living within the Olympia’s immediate vicinity, which warned the application risked attracting more anti-social behaviour (ASB) and related disorder.
The representation claimed the proposed licence “would transform a pedestrianised passageway into a licensed drinking area in the heart of a mixed residential, educational, and commercial neighbourhood.
“The cumulative impact of alcohol sales, the associated right to amplified and live music, and the open nature of the location would undermine all four licensing objectives.”
In response to the objections a member of the Olympia team wrote the intention “is not to facilitate continuous activity throughout the day, every day of the year”. They added: “Rather, the licence seeks to provide Olympia with greater operational flexibility to accommodate occasional events, cultural programming, community activities and seasonal activations as the estate continues to evolve.”
On the desire to shift to a premises licence instead of relying on temporary notices, they wrote: “A premises licence would provide a more practical and proportionate framework for managing occasional events without relying on this finite resource.
“The activities delivered in Olympia Square to date have primarily consisted of small scale cultural and community-focused programming, including acoustic music performances, emerging artist showcases and workshops associated with The Japan Edition programme. These activities have provided opportunities for local artists and publicly accessible experiences, and we have not received any complaints arising from these events.”
Charlotte Hume, a resident also representing The Street Hub, told members sitting on the Licensing Sub-Committee that the location concerned is “a dispersal corridor, not a venue”.
“Putting alcohol sales in the middle of a managed exit route risks obstruction, congestion and conflict with the primary aim of that space, the stewarding plan on long steep stairs and escalators, at the moment the route potentially could be busiest,” she said. “That is a public safety…issue.”
Ms Hume added that if granted the licence should be for a limited period rather than open-ended, noting parts of the Olympia site are yet to be completed.
The Canopy at Olympia. Picture: Sam Lort/Courtesy of Olympia
Matthew Phipps, a barrister at TLT representing the applicant, raised doubts about the feared impacts of the proposal.
He said: “The anxieties suggesting we would be having licensable activities in conflict with our own tenants…is, respectfully, simply wrong.”
Mr Phipps said he did not accept a majority of residents opposed the application, noting no ward councillors objected, and told members the location right in the middle of the site is “perfectly proper”.
He said he understands the concerns about potential issues if the scheme is approved, though added that they would not “have some mad free for all”.
Members approved the sale of alcohol between 10am and 9pm Monday to Sunday, alongside a further condition stipulating any that is sold to take off the premises must be in a sealed container.
An Olympia spokesperson said the site is to continue opening in phases, with British Airways ARC, Hyatt Regency London Olympia, the restaurants and bars on Emberton Walk, Idalia and Pepperbird in Pillar Hall, and the International Convention Centre now open.
They continued: “Juno, the UK’s largest Italian restaurant, will open next week on 16 October, with further openings including The Addison and citizenM London Olympia to follow later this year.
“The transformation will continue through 2027, culminating in the opening of the British Airways Theatre.”
Ben Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter
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