A businessman’s plans to open a Brazilian restaurant and bar took a hit after his application for an alcohol licence was rejected.

Brent Council refused the application at Eclipse Pizzeria and Club, in High Street, Harlesden over concerns about the impact it would have on the surrounding area.

The licensing committee said it had “no choice” but to reject the proposals based on previous incidents and a lack of confidence in the applicant’s approach.

Agnaldo Dal Forno hoped to secure a licence at the premises that would allow him to sell alcohol and play live music up to seven days a week.

But evidence provided by the police and council officers, based on past experiences at the site, suggested this would impact negatively on neighbouring properties.

Representations from the police showed Mr Dal Forno had previously sold alcohol without a licence and questioned whether he could be trusted going forward.

Brent Council licensing officers said he had an “inconsistent approach” when it came to licensing, while the environmental health team suggested there had been “no lessons learnt”.

They all paid tribute to his character and ambition – describing him as a “warm” and “likeable” man – but said they could not disregard his actions.

“I have to keep my police head on, and we’ve seen endless error after endless error,” said the police representative.

“I don’t know if it’s ignorance or naivety around the licensing regime, but he needs to have a better understanding of his responsibilities when it comes to running a place like this.”

Mr Del Forno claimed this was the result of a communications error as he pointed towards his limited English and “trusting the wrong people”.

He vowed to improve his language skills, brush up on licensing laws by completing a qualification and hire new, more competent security staff.

He also explained that he had invested a lot of time and money into the business and was committed to making it safe and a success.

However, the committee said it believed Mr Dal Forno had held events and sold alcohol despite knowing that he did not have a licence to do so.

It acknowledged plans and investment to curtail noise and nuisance at the site but felt the management would not be able to fully uphold its licensing objectives.