A Brighton seafront restaurant faced losing its licence after Sussex Police formally requested a review.
But today (Tuesday 21 February) councillors were told that Monarch’s landlord had held talks with the police and agreed terms that would permit the venue to reopen.
The talks followed the short-term closure of Monarch, in King’s Road, last month after an incident when staff called for officers to attend to deal with a “problem customer”.
At a council licensing panel hearing today Sussex Police said that they had agreed to proposed new licence conditions including reduced hours.
This followed talks with the venue’s landlord and designated premises supervisor (DPS) Andrew Cheesman, 56.
The panel, made up of three councillors, will decide whether to approve the new regime before the restaurant can reopen under a new name and management.
Monarch was on the site of the former Buddies restaurant and had a 24-hour drinks licence.
It was closed after an incident on Monday 23 January when staff called the police to deal with a violent customer.
The customer was taken to hospital with an eye injury and then arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly after his behaviour became worse.
Initially, Sussex Police called the review so that councillors could consider revoking the licence after seven incidents from April to October last year in and around Monarch.
Mr Cheesman said that he had swabbed the venue for traces of drugs, tested staff and introduced an ID scanner after a meeting with the police licensing team last September.
Sussex Police did not submit any evidence of drug traces having been found at the premises despite indicating in a report that drugs were taken there.
Mr Cheesman said that he had agreed that an Indian restaurant called Malika could take over the site, with a view to opening on Monday 6 March.
He told the council licensing panel that he started looking for a new team to take over the business after last year’s meeting with police licensing officers.
Mr Cheesman realised, he said, that Sunset Brighton Limited, whose directors include Mr Cheesman’s 22-year-old nephew Ellis Cheesman, could not cope with the pressures of running a restaurant on the seafront.
Ellis Cheesman and his former business partner Stephen Darby, 62, who resigned last September, have no links with Malika.
Mr Cheesman said: “They have no involvement at all. In December, I had already lined up the new people because we were not going to agree for the licence to carry on with Ellis.
“I had agreed to stay on as DPS to help them through as I’ve been on the seafront for 25 years.”
Mr Cheesman agreed to step down as DPS. The new team from Malika was said to have staff with licensing experience who were ready to take over running the premises.
Under the proposed conditions, the venue would operate as a café during the day, with alcohol available from 10am to 5pm and with substantial food available at all times.
The venue would close at 5pm, reopening at 5.30pm, with restaurant conditions limiting alcohol sales to customers buying a full meal until closing time at midnight.
The panel – councillors Chris Henry, Clare Moonan and Anne Pissaridou – retired to make a decision which should be made public within five working days.
