A new café and bar in Hove has applied for a 1am drinks licence but a neighbour and two councillors have submitted objections to Brighton and Hove City Council.
Longrain wants to sell alcohol on and off the premises from 10am to 10.30pm on Sundays, from 10am to midnight on Mondays to Wednesdays and from 10am to 1am the following morning on Thursdays to Saturdays.
The premises, known for years as Orsino, in Church Road, Hove, would open at 9am and close 30 minutes after the hours in the drinks licence application – 1.30am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.
As a result of the objections, the council is due to decide the application at a licensing panel hearing next Tuesday (28 January).
A report to the panel – made up of three councillors – said: “Representations received had concerns relating to prevention of crime and disorder and prevention of public nuisance.”
Labour councillors Emma Daniel and Joy Robinson, who represent Central Hove, both sent in objections, urging the council to allow alcohol to be served only to those who were having substantial food.
They also called for the sale of alcohol to diners to be restricted to “more reasonable hours such as 12 noon to 10pm” and live music and dancing to be restricted too.
They said that the council should refuse or limit off-sales unless there was a good reason although the applicant said that they would be to customers sitting at the venue’s pavement tables only.
Longrain is in a busy part of Brighton and Hove where there are many licensed premises already, problems with drink-related crime and behaviour – and tougher rules for those seeking a new or extended licence.
The business is owned by Avante Ltd, which is run by Robert Webb, 77, who is also a director of Food for Friends and the South East Leisure Group.
Mr Webb was previously a director of the now-dissolved Stagfleet, a “management consultancy” best known for buying the Brighton gay club Revenge for £1.5 million in 2004 and several restaurant companies in the area.
Avante has offered to accept conditions restricting drink sales to customers seated at tables and served by waiting staff.
On bank holidays, football match days and during events such as Pride, the applicant said that it would assess the risks with a view to deploying door security staff if necessary.
And glass bottle recycling would not take place between 11pm and 8am.
The two ward councillors said: “If minded to grant a licence, I would request that the panel consider the risk of increasing levels of anti-social behaviour, drug-taking and noise in the area.”
An anonymous neighbour, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “I am concerned about adding to crime and disorder in our area.
“You will be aware there have been incidents in Church Road in the not-too-distant past, caused at least in part by late-night opening and the availability of alcohol.
“I am further concerned about public safety and I think more late-night drinking venues will add to public nuisance.”
The licensing panel hearing is due to start at 10am next Tuesday (28 January). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
It is a long while since it was Orsino. The current opening hours are not posted outside. About 9pm one evening this week i was surprised to find it in darkness. There have been many incarnations of the place, most recently the unfortunately-named Carne, and I suspect that Longrain’s window posters of special offers, whenever it happens to be open, suggests it will not thrive, partly because the premises are unduly large.
The restaurant thqmat was originally in Brighton was a horrible, dingy, musty smelly place. The food was substandard, all precooked and reheated. I can’t see it lasting long in Hove.
If we are going to start telling restaurants they can’t serve alcohol, maybe it would be a idea to rid the city off late night off licences. I’m sure out of the 2 businesses, an off licences serves a lot more problem drinkers than a restaurant would be doing