Plans for Hove micropub approved

By Jenni Davidson

Controversial plans to turn a Hove off licence into the city’s first micropub have been approved.

An application to change the use of the building on the corner of Richardson Road and Lion Mews from a shop into a pub were approved by Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee yesterday (Wednesday 14 May).

The proposed micropub will stock only local beers and ales, rather than keg beers and lagers, serve no food apart from bar snacks and have no music.

It will seat about 34 people with no bar and table service and be open from noon to 9pm Monday to Thursday, noon to 11pm Friday and Saturday and noon to 2pm on Sundays.

Louise Etheridge, who lives in the flat above the proposed micropub with her daughter, spoke to the committee about her concerns with the plans.

Ms Etheridge said: “We’ve been repeatedly told that the whole concept of a micropub is the art of conversation.

“However, after customers drinking several strong ales that conversation will increase greatly.”

She pointed out that while soundproofing could stop noise coming up through the floorboards, it could not prevent noise travelling from people talking outside the building.

She also expressed concern about possible noise and odours from the micropub’s air conditioning unit at the rear of the building.

David White, who plans to open the micropub with his wife Ali and another couple, spoke of having shopped in Richardson Road for 30 years and seeing many shops closing.

“I don’t want to see a series of pop-up shops,” he said.

He said that Richardson Road had all kinds of local shops, such as a butchers and bakers, but no pub.

“We feel that all that is missing is a village pub, or in this case, a village micropub.”

With regards to the two-hour opening period on a Sunday, he said: “We don’t want to encourage all-day drinkers. That’s not what we’re about.”

When asked by Councillor Alan Robins why he had not chosen an existing pub, with so many of them closing down, Mr White said that he didn’t actually like the idea of running a normal pub.

“The whole ethos of a micropub is that it’s more like a café that serves beer,” he said.

“We’re not going to be millionaires this time next year, but it appealed to me.”

A micropub is a small, one-room pub, which may or may not have a bar and serves beers either straight from the cask or through handpumps.

The idea for the micropub came from Martyn Hillier who opened the first one, the Butchers Arms, in Herne, Kent.

The Micropub Association defines a micropub as “a small freehouse which listens to its customers, mainly serves cask ales, promotes conversation, shuns all forms of electronic entertainment and dabbles in traditional pub snacks”.

Councillors on the Planning Committee were divided as to whether to support the change of use when they met at Hove Town Hall yesterday.

Councillor Geoffrey Wells: “I think it’s nice to see a new pub opening up.

“So many pubs that come before us, it’s for permission to turn them into houses and flats.

“It’s part of our heritage, an old English pub.”

However, Councillor Leo Littman said that although he could understand why colleagues were supporting the proposal, he could not.

“I do understand the area is struggling but I think that introducing a pub into Richardson Road is a retrograde step,” he said.

Councillor Graham Cox summed up the issue, saying: “What the applicants want to do is very commendable … it’s just, is it right exactly there?”

The change of use was voted through with eight in favour and four against.

To open as a pub, the owners still need the consent of the council’s licensing department.