A Hove restaurant owner can serve drinks at her new venue after the council granted her a premises licence.
Amber Sterck, 31, who runs a company called Martin and Pine, is turning a former antique shop, Three Angels, in Hove Street, into a restaurant, bakery and coffee shop called Capellini.
The licence will allow the sale of alcohol from 11am to 10pm from Monday to Friday, from 10am to 10pm on Saturdays and from 10am to 6pm on Sundays.
The application went before a panel of three councillors – Emma Daniel, Paul Nann and Tobias Sheard – because five neighbours objected.
The panel was told that two neighbours had withdrawn their objections before the hearing on Thursday 28 September.
There were no objections from Brighton and Hove City Council’s licensing department or its environmental protection team.
The applicant agreed draft licence conditions with Sussex Police to restricted the sale of drink to diners sat at tables.
Customers would not be permitted to stand and drink and no alcohol would be served outside the building.
Ms Sterck said that she had no plans for tables outside.
If that changed, council lawyer Rebecca Sidell said that the business would have to apply for a variation to the licence.
The council sent Ms Sterck a decision letter. It said: “It (the panel) was impressed by the applicant and the way in which she had engaged with those making representations to allay their concerns and her emphasis on being part of the local community.
“The premises is to be food-led with a comprehensive set of conditions.”
Capellini is expected to have 70 covers – or seats for 70 customers – including 40 to 45 in the restaurant section at the back of the building.
I find reading a few of the listening applications where people have objected to them on the grounds of noise being very unsubstantiated, and not very convincing.
As much as I don’t personally agree that everywhere needs to serve alcohol, that’s just that – purely an opinion.
Councillors would turn the whole of Hove into restaurants and bars if they could. Anyone living in central Hove that thought they were living in a quiet residential area off the main roads should think again. There will be more and more licenses given in the next few years as part of the drive to increase the ‘night-time economy’. Businesses will have more and more change of use to capitalise on this.
Someone should ask the councillor responsible for the night-time economy what he thinks the benefits are to residents for more licensing approvals.
Great news, this city was built on hospitality and those wanting to restrict it kill our city.
We have seen pubs and clubs shut so any new restaurant should be welcome.
Llloyd Russell-Moyle should keep his opinions to matters concerning his own constituency. This change of use is not supported by Peter Kyle who is the MP for Hove.
I hope this business will succeed however i agree that B&H is governed by unexplaniable councellors. I came across with some which made decisions using no sense, were rude during public meetings and did not listen to respondents for their own sake. They all cannot be held to account for their decisions in the end I understand legally and can get influenced by third parties for decision making. the current system is giving them too much power for no responsibility.