Hove Museum and Art Gallery faces objections to its application to extend its alcohol licence which is currently restricted to 12 events a year.
Ten neighbours have objected to the application by the Royal Pavilion Museum Trust Enterprises for alcohol sales daily at the museum in New Church Road, Hove.
The hours would be from 10am to 11pm, including in an outside area bordering Pembroke Gardens around the Jaipur Gate, from 10am to 6pm.
The objections mean that the application must go before a licensing panel made up of three councillors at a virtual hearing which is due to held on Monday 8 September.
The museum said that it wanted to offer wine and bottled beer through its café which sells hot food and soft drinks.
If Brighton and Hove City Council approves the licence, it would also allow for pop-up bars at events, with trained staff.
A closed-circuit television (CCTV) system is already in place and monitored around the clock by professional operators.
Entry would be controlled by a ticketing system, with a strict limit on the numbers allowed inside.
The objectors, whose details were redacted by the council, raised concerns about noise, anti-social behaviour and the late finishing time.
One said: “As someone living in close proximity, I am deeply worried about the potential noise impact which would significantly affect my sleep and overall quality of life.
“Beyond noise, there is a real risk of increased anti-social behaviour, including littering, vandalism and under-age drinking, particularly in and around the museum gardens.
“This area currently offers a peaceful and much-valued space for children to play and for residents of all ages to walk, read, exercise, meditate and enjoy the gardens.
“Introducing commercial events of this nature would fundamentally alter the character of the space and could permanently damage a cherished community amenity.”
Another anonymous objector said: “Hove Museum has always been seen as a family-friendly, cultural venue. Its strength lies in its accessibility and appeal to all ages, especially children.
“Turning it into a site for licensed events involving alcohol would, in my view, fundamentally change its character and purpose.
“Many of us fear that it will become less welcoming to families and may alienate some of the very people it is meant to serve.”
The licensing panel hearing is due to take place at 10am on Monday 8 September and is scheduled to be webcast.
Seems to be the norm, any excuse for a booze licence, does anyone actually know how many booze permits exist in B&H. ??? shops, kiosks, cafes, restaurants, public buildings like said musem ??? anyone ???. I think the numbers are big in comparison to the population tourists and visitors included,
There are pubs within a 5 minute walk. This is ridiculous
The Westbourne
The connaught
The Stirling
The urchin (smells too much like fish for me)
Bit further to
Old crow
Poets
Ginger pig
How is this relevant to availability of drinks at an event at the museum ? Do you suggest people pop round to the pub and return with a tray of drinks 🙄
Not events, it’s all the time. Read the article.There are already plenty of places to have alcohol. Why do we need another?
Can’t any business operate without a booze licence in Brighton?
Is the museum in Church Street going to sell alcohol as well?
All this says about Brighton is that we can’t go a day without alcohol anywhere!
Brighton is becoming a really dreary place for people to live!
I was going to say what about the church, then I realised they actually do.
That hardly seems appropriate for a museum unless they are intending to open for evening events.
Just have destination cakes and the best hot beverages in town and I will be there on a regular basis.
Britain does not do good cakes compared to the continent where they are full of fruit and flavour.
It’s better to do one thing well than try and be like all the surrounding competition.
Read what they are actually applying for. But, in any case, absolutely nothing wrong with offering eats and drinks, including those with alcohol in a gallery / museum setting. If it’s okay for the major London institutions then I don’t think you have much to worry about in Brighton / Hove.
Have you been to any of the London museums??????
This is insane. Its a museum, not a place to get drunk or cater toalcoholics who then go and look at exhibition material where they could have accidents & break things
I must dispute your idea of insanity. Yes it is a museum but I doubt that it will entertain alcoholic s, and it is unlikely that everyone who enjoys a glass of wine is a drunk.
+1
Can alcoholics not be entertained by culture?
tbh it’s a bizarre idea that people get drunk / are typically alcoholic and that this leads to accidents. The Tate Galleries, National Gallery, RA and many other places operate fine with it. And all those NT locations that offer beer and wine. Brighton / Hove museums are probably fine to do it on that evidence.
You have to remember that when people don’t like a planning application, no argument is too far-fetched or bizarre……..
The sort of clientele that this is catering for are not vandals, litter-louts or under age. I envisage that this is a responsible and professionally run establishment with CCTV and appropriate checks. Personally if it subsides the budget for the venue, I think there is enough space to dissipate any noise and it is a sensible idea.
Personally, I do wonder why it seems that every place feels the need to offer alcohol. Like, can’t people enjoy a space without getting a tipple, and should others be inflicted by being surrounded by alcohol in venues like a museum.
Then again, people don’t have to partake, and it’s also not a venue one goes to to get slaughtered. Certainly better ways to do the latter.
Crikey! Talk about a gross overreaction to a modest proposal. My bet is that it’ll go through and a year from now no-one will even remember that it was at all controversial.
+1
At 10am? Why is it necessary to offer alcohol before lunch? What is the reasonable imperative?
This is due to licensing laws anything before 10am requires a special licence to sell alcohol
Can add alcohol to coffee… Never heard of Irish coffee?
Maybe it’s just a really boring museum, Val!
What a lot of moaning! Drinks licenses are essential to running events, running events is essential to bringing in enough money to keep the museum open.
You’d all moan a lot more if it closed it’s doors for good.
I disagree. Alcohol licenses are not essential to running events; look at every event that doesn’t serve alcohol, ever.
It seems the norm all across UK to moan about planing permission and alcohol licences. It looks like people don’t want people and over react thinking alcohol will turn their roads into crack selling spots. What a sad country the UK became into.
A recent study from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) estimates the total annual cost of alcohol harm in England at approximately £27.44 billion. Nearly 6% of all hospitalisations in England (almost 950,000 annually) are linked to alcohol, further underlining the pressure on A&E and inpatient services.
These aren’t minor effects; they represent a major public health and economic drain, and easily justify stringent licensing and availability restrictions. People are correct in responding to a well-documented crisis caused by alcohol.
Karen’s whining at everything as usual
Personally I can’t wait to visit the museum crack a few cans and act totally badly.
Maybe even a slash in the flower bed.
Bring it on Hove.