Gay bar’s neighbours ask council to reduce its opening hours
People living in a block of council homes next to a gay bar have asked the council to reduce its opening hours.
Darwell Court in Aldwick Mews is right next door to Le Village, which opened in August last year in the former Ranelagh pub.
Within weeks, Brighton and Hove City Council had received the first of several noise complaints and in January, the premises was served with a noise abatement notice.
Director of Le Village Ltd Lee Cockshott has launched an appeal against this, which is due to be heard at Brighton Magistrates’ Court in January.
But meanwhile, the Darwell Court Residents’ Association has asked the city council to review its licence, which currently allows it to stay open until 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 1.30am on weekdays.
Recorded music is permitted during any opening hours, and live music until 11.30pm every day. Alcohol can be served up until 30 minutes before closing time.
Brighton and Hove News understands that residents are not asking for the licence to be revoked, but for the hours to be reduced.
The council said: “A noise abatement notice was served on the owners under section 80 Environmental Protection Act 1990 on the 15 January 2020. It is the subject of an appeal.
“There were nine complainants between September 2019 and mid January 2020. The first complaint about noise from the premises was received by the council on 23 September 2019.”
Requests for a licence review are more typically made by the police, trading standards or licensing officers rather than residents. However, any request for a licence review means a panel must convene to hear it.
Darwell Court, a block of three one-bedroom flats, a two bedroom maisonette and a two bedroom wheelchair accessible flat, was finished in July 2016.
The council built the flats on the former Ardingly Street car parking site near Ardingly Court and St James’ House, part of its scheme to build affordable rental flats on small sites around the city.
Le Village was approached for comment.
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this bar should be closed down
Why should it?
Do you have a fear of homosexuals?
“Gay Bar” ?! How very 1999 of you.
The residents of the building next door should have done some investigation before moving into a place that’s been a venue for over half a century or more, the flats are new and the residents should understand the problems they have and the building owners knew the bar was there when building it so why was nothing done by them oh yes that’s the council no regard for anyone as long as they get cash coming in, the proper should have had sound insulation installed as it was built and the residents should have it in their tenancies that the venue is present and making complaints about it when warned the place was and is a live events venue
The Bar should be allowed to continue operations as currently licenced. There has been a bar operating on the site for many many years. The flats have only been there a couple of years. Maybe they should not have been built there. Or is there a hint that people don’t like a “GAY” bar near them. I wonder.
There have been ongoing issues with this venue, noise, behaviour of the clientele and more recent paying little regard to COVID protocols. Of course people like playing the minority card but that has nothing to do with anything. Rightly the Council need to undertake a review
This is old news. However they were (amgonst other bars) closing at 10pm and reopening later when the police had made their rounds.
Personally I love Lè Village. Friendly staff, efficient service, nice clientele and a welcome addition to the Brighton gay scene. They adhere to Covid requirements well and I feel very safe and welcome there. There’s been a bar here long before the flats were built and the residents should have taken this into consideration before moving in. I, for one, will gladly lend my support to any efforts to keep Lè Village going as it currently is.
Don’t they have a 10pm curfew?
Yes, but they’ve been flouting it and reopening at 12am.
Sounds like a bunch of homophobes above tbh. Get a life!
The bar always usher people indoors after dark, whats the issue? Its no where near as loud as other venues in the city. Bar a few screaming drag queens every now and then.
Wonder what a well placed FOI will show up? How many different complaints are there? agree with above comment if you cant deal with city centre life don’t live in the city centre.
Move next door to a pub
Complain about living next to a pub
I know a doorman that has worked this venue.
He is also good friends with the owners.
I have met them also and they’re lovely people.
As for the noise…. Have a laugh… They are extremely cautious about noise levels and are always telling customers to keep quite if they get to much.
If you move next to a pub then deal with it.
If not move somewhere else.
With businesses going to the wall all over the city it’s a great shame that people try to have a go at a venue that has been a very important part of Brighton life for many years. As all the above have said if you move next to a pub, you really can’t expect it to be as quiet as a rural location. One does wonder how good the build quality was, I have city centre property where you can’t hear anything from outside, but that’s because proper sound insulation was retro fitted. Way easier to do on new flats. But even in 2020 you only have to scratch the surface to find the homophobe. So one always wonders if so many complaints would have been made had it been a straight bar