A brewer has been granted a drinks licence to set up a street food market and taproom in Brighton.
Daniel Tapper, 39, who runs Beak Brewery, in Lewes, applied for a drinks licence for the old car hire firm premises next to the Prince Albert pub, in Trafalgar Street, Brighton.
His application was approved by Brighton and Hove City Council after a licensing panel hearing earlier this month.
Trafalgar Street is in a busy area where the council has a policy of restricting new pubs, bars, night clubs and off-licences because of the “saturation” of such businesses.
Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council licensing officials objected to Mr Tapper’s application because he wanted to go beyond the limits of the council’s licensing policies.
Police did not want “off-sales” while Mr Tapper wants to be able to sell cans of Beak Brewery beer. Police also wanted drink sales on the premises to end at 10pm.
North Laine resident Peter Crowhurst objected to the application, saying that in his 30 years living in the area the number of licensed businesses had increase from 23 to 95.
But Mr Tapper, a former food writer, said that the site, which has been blighted by graffiti, would be a “world-class” indoor street food market similar to those found in Florence, Siena, Bilbao and Borough Market, in London.
If the licence application was refused, the building – next to the Prince Albert pub – could be demolished and replaced with offices and homes. This would require an appeal because a planning application was rejected last October.
The council licensing panel earlier this month was made up of three councillors – David McGregor, Julie Cattell and Joy Robinson.
After their deliberations, the council sent a decision letter saying that the venue did not fit neatly in with the council’s licensing policy and was akin to something between a café and a restaurant.
The letter said: “The panel considers that this application has lots of features which set it apart from others and could be considered exceptional in order to justify a small departure from the policy.
“The kitchen spaces would be rent-free. The space in general would be available to community interest groups for free.
“The majority of the alcohol to be sold would be from the Beak craft brewery. This was likely to attract a different type of clientele. The closing time was between that of a café … and a restaurant.
“In terms of off-sales, the panel noted the police concerns but considered that a limited permission was appropriate and would be unlikely to give rise to problems.”
The panel restricted off-sales to craft brewery cans only and said that off-sales should stop at 8.30pm.
Conditions attached to the licence meant that customers would not be allowed to stand at the bar and drink but must be seated at tables and served by waiting staff.
Mr Tapper was delighted with the decision and said: “Over the last six months, we’ve spent a huge amount of time working with local people to ensure we create plans that will benefit the North Laine area, from residents to other food and drink businesses.
“With this in mind, we are absolutely delighted that the panel has granted us our licence while recognising the exceptional nature of the project and we cannot thank those who supported our application enough.
“We still have some major hurdles to jump before we open, including major restoration works, but I’m confident we can overcome these with the support of the local community and sincerely hope to open by the end of this year.”
A planning application for a change of use is yet to be decided. Four objections have been submitted to the council and 36 comments in support.
To see and comment on the application, visit the planning portal on the council’s website and search for BH2024/00453.
Great news! Level 1 in Worthing has a similar format and was a big success last year.
Brilliant news!!! Common sense prevails at last. Peter Crowhurst, of the entirely self appointed North Laine Residents Association once again stood against modernization and progress but for once the council has taken a sensible licensing decision. I can guess who objected to the Change Of Use application.
You can always challenge their legitimacy with the commission, if you honestly think that about them. Their CIO registration is here. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/273989/full-print
Couple things.1) It’s the North Laine Community Association not the North Laine Residents Association and it is a genuine bona fide charity founded nearly 50 years ago. Secondly, Mr Crowhurst was speaking personally as a North Laine resident, but not on behalf or representing the NLCA officially.
Benjamin pontificates often but sometimes struggles with basic facts in part due to questionable assumptions.
Yeah, that is a fair correction Vintage. Easy mix up with two very similar groups. Certainly not against admitting my mistake; not suggesting infallibility.
Still, point still stands, if David has some objection of an association, there’s ways of highlighting this properly, rather than a whine about it, particularly if there’s a person who potentially having his personal opinion putting a group’s reputation into dispute, especially when it is not one shared by the group.
Just to clarify again
There is no North Laine Residents’ Association.
There is the North Laine Community Association, founded 1976, a registered charity.
So there are not “two very similar groups.”
And Mr Crowhurst was raising objections as an individual who live in North Laine -as he is entitled to do if he wishes – but his remarks were not endorsed by NLCA officially. In fact Mr Tapper consulted with NLCA twice over this project at two meetings.
Just to clarify again.
There is no North Laine Residents Association. It doesn’t exist. So it’s not a question of an “easy mix up with two very similar groups”:
There is the North Laine Community Association, founded 1976 and a legitimate registered charity and one of Brighton’s leading residents’ association with free membership to all who live in North Laine with regular meetings. Calls to challenge its legitimacy (suggest you look at its website, its bi monthly magazine. The North Laine Runner Charity Commission listing. Facebook and social media sites etc as well as its many campaigns on behalf of local residents ) would be forcefully opposed.
Mr Crowhurst was speaking as an individual local resident in North Laine but not officially on behalf of NLCA. Mr Tapper has twice consulted with NLCA at two meetings.
David
There is no North Laine Residents Association. It doesn’t exist.
There is the North Laine Community Association, founded 1976 and a legitimate registered charity.
Mr Crowhurst was speaking as an individual local resident in North Laine but not on behalf of NLCA.
Mr Crowburst wants this to be a quiet area, could he simply move to Peacehaven and then all parties (sic) can be happy.
I bet the Prince Albert is over the moon about this, having had it’s own existence in the balance about noise in a residential area
This is great news for us local traders nearby and especially the Prince Albert that has been under threat from greedy property developers wanting to build residential homes on this site.