A café owner can sell alcohol up to 11pm at night after being granted a licence despite objections.
Brighton and Hove City Council approved the licence application from Florenc Gjona, 48, permitting Loro’s, at 66 Lewes Road, Brighton, to sell drink from 11am to 11pm.
The café had an existing 4pm closing time and neighbour Emmett Lawlor told a council licensing panel that she was worried about late-night noise from the kitchen extractor fan.
He was told that Mr Gjona did not need a licence to serve food up to 11pm at night and would be free to do so with or without a drinks licence.
The council’s licensing team objected to the application because the 11pm closing time was later than the 10pm set out in the council’s policy for cafés.
Draft conditions were agreed with Sussex Police before the hearing including a requirement for customers to be seated and served by waiting staff – and for any takeaway alcohol to be sold with a substantial food order.
At the hearing, Mr Gjona’s representative, Graham Hopkins, of GT Licensing Consultants, said that a substantial food order for delivery would require a main course and side dish.
The drink element for home delivery orders would be limited to eight cans or bottles of beer and cider or two bottles of wine.
Mr Hopkins also offered conditions such as deploying door staff on days when there was a potential security risk, such as Pride and some Brighton and Hove Albion match days.
The licensing panel of three councillors – Julie Cattell, Ollie Sykes and Alison Thomson – decided the application at a licensing panel hearing on Monday 4 August.
The council decision letter said: “It is a relatively modest application with comprehensive conditions and measures proposed which have met the requirements of Sussex Police.
“The panel does not consider that it will add to problems in the area and considers that it is appropriate to accept a minor departure from (policy) in relation to cafés and off-sales.”
The price Brighton’s paying for two universities!
Soon to be one university if rumours are to be believed.
Do not understand sitting in the open air on the busy the Lewes Road and eating a meal, with all the Car and Lorry noise and pollution.
11pm acceptable, not as if they want to stay open till wee early hours, where most of drunken antisocial behaviour happens, in fact lets get back to post 2005, when all late night establishments were, required to close by 2am, this night time economy that came in has been a drain on resource.
Are the licensing board all alcoholics ?
No worse than any other places as along as it controlled iam sure they will make a good go of it. it hard enough to make a living out there now. All I say good luck to you