A Brighton seafront venue urged councillors to allow it to stay open until 3.30am at weekends at a licensing panel hearing today (Wednesday 18 December).
If the licence is granted, the owner agreed that it would remain a performance-led venue, focused on live shows rather than just DJ sets.
Daltons, in Madeira Drive, Brighton, agreed a series of draft licence conditions, drawn up with Sussex Police, before the licensing panel hearing.
The licensing authorities were keen to forestall any risk of a future owner turning the venue, which has an outdoor terrace for 250 people, into a night club.
It was this concern that prompted an emphasis on live performance rather than DJ nights at the venue owned by Madeira Leisure, which also operates the seafront zipwire.
After talks with the police, a draft condition was proposed, restricting DJs to no more than 30 per cent of a day’s scheduled events. This would allow for sets between live acts and accommodate musicians who use DJs as part of their own performances.
But another sticking point remained with the police and Brighton and Hove City Council. The business wants a licence for off-sales, allowing customers to take away beer, cider and wine until 10pm in the summer and 8pm in the winter.
Sussex Police licensing officer Hannah Staplehurst said that the force was concerned about people becoming drunk and disorderly and the emergency services “being at the end of a drunk person’s aggression”.
She also said that the venue was on the beach and mentioned the Royal Life Saving Society’s “Don’t Drink and Drown” campaign when objecting to off-sales.
She said: “I have worked with the premises and believe the conditions agreed can go some way to mitigate risks and allow this premises to operate as a grassroots live music venue to the hours requested with the late-night refreshment addition too.
“I believe they go some way to protecting their customers, staff and members of the public.
“But I do ask you to consider the stance of Sussex Police for the off-sales aspect and refuse this as part of the application.”
Madeira Leisure’s solicitor Niall McCann, a partner at Keystone Law, said that Daltons could currently sell alcohol to customers leaving the premises until 11pm under post-covid rules that remain valid until March.
Mr McCann said: “Since covid, with deregulation, we’ve been offering off-sales for the last four years and we’re not aware of any concerns or complaints or incidents that have come from those off-sales.
“Those off-sales are until the end of March next year. They might be extended. I suspect with the state of hospitality they may be extended. They’ve been extended before.
“What we’re looking at is some certainty. We don’t want to be nervously biting our nails next March or next February for them to be extended.”
He said that no shots or cocktails would be available.
Madeira Leisure agreed a number of draft licence conditions with Sussex Police as the venue operator tried win support for a 3.30am closing time at weekends and 12.30am for the rest of the week.
These included
• Holding at least seven arts-led live entertainment events a week
• Not permitting standing and drinking unless at a ticketed public event or performance where standing was part of the artistic environment
• Holding no DJ-led performances, with DJ sets to make up no more than 30 per cent of the time that events are scheduled for on any single day
• The sale of alcohol to be ancillary to the premises operating as a grassroots music venue
• The premises becoming a member of the Music Venue Trust or a similar body
• The premises and its management becoming members of the Brighton Music Venue Alliance and attending its quarterly meetings
• Deploying at least one member of door staff from 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays until the premises closed
One of the three panel members, Labour councillor Tobias Sheard, proposed that no customers should be allowed entry after 1am at weekends.
Madeira Leisure owner Jeffrey Sanders, 58, said that this would be acceptable, if the panel were to approve the application.
Madeira Leisure also sought to include permission to sell “late-night refreshment” on its licence, permitting food and drink sales from 11pm to 12.30am. If granted, the company agreed to restrict its offering to hot drinks and soft drinks only.
The panel also included Labour councillor John Hewitt and Green councillor Ollie Sykes. All three members retired to make their decision which should be made public within five working days.
Licensed venues with security are the way forward. The issue i find is all the late shops serving alcohol.