Councillors will decide whether Brighton College can extend its existing drinks licence after neighbours objected to an application by the school.
Brighton and Hove City Council received 10 objections and a petition with 227 signatures after the school applied to extend its alcohol licence to two arts buildings at its Eastern Road site.
The decision is due to be made by council licensing panel made up of three councillors at an online hearing next Wednesday (10 September).
Brighton College currently has a licence to sell alcohol from 11am to 1am daily and for the performance of live music and the playing of recorded music until 1am.
The licence extension would allow for alcohol sales during the same hours in the new Richard Cairns Building, which includes a theatre, and the Sarah Abraham Recital Hall.
Brighton College said in its application: “Both spaces intend to host dance, drama and live music events.
“For most events there will be a performance of recorded music and sale of alcohol prior to the start of the event and in the interval.
“There will be no alcohol sales after the events with an event cut-off time of 11pm.
“Both buildings are contained within the school grounds and events will take place indoors.
“There are no new licensable activities proposed other than adding these two buildings to an existing licence.”
The anonymous objectors, whose details were redacted by the council, raised concerns about noise, commercialisation and increased congestion.
Two objectors sent letters with identical points, saying: “The college conservation area is residential in nature. This application could lead to significant noise pollution.
“Even ‘background’ music can carry in quiet residential areas, especially during evenings or weekends, potentially disturbing nearby residents’ peace and quiet.
“More importantly, at the end of events, customers and performers will need to depart the site with all the attendant noise and commotion.
“The area around the Quad is known for amplifying noise. There have already been numerous complaints during this year’s summer school activities.”
Seven of the anonymous objectors raised concerns about alcohol sales at a boarding school.
The seven letters had identical bullet points
- Greater chance of under-age access or accidental consumption
- Normalising alcohol use in an educational setting
- Reduced clarity between school-related and commercial activity
Kemp Town resident Sarah Dawson started a petition on the Change.org website – Stop Brighton College selling alcohol and further disrupting our community.
Mrs Dawson said: “The petition, with 227 signatures from local residents, demonstrates substantial community opposition.
“The widespread concern is not limited to a few individuals. It reflects a shared neighbourhood expectation for a balanced licensing approach that safeguards residential amenity and public order.”
She urged the council to refuse the variation on the grounds of public nuisance, public safety and cumulative impact.
Draft conditions agreed with Sussex Police would allow only Brighton College to conduct licensable activities at its site.
All events, including those by outside users, would have to be run by the Brighton College performing arts team and a security team with senior oversight.
The licensing panel is due to meet at 10am next Wednesday (10 September). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast.
A school seems an odd place for an alcohol licence indeed. There are plenty of local pubs nearby.
I agree with you on this one! It sends a dreadful message to children, as if the only way to enjoy their performances is with a drink in hand.
What troubles me most is the creeping way Brighton College pushes these changes through incrementalism. It’s death by a thousand cuts: each “small” licence or planning tweak might look harmless on its own, but together they sprawl into a much larger takeover of the neighbourhood. This isn’t community-minded growth – it feels like disdain for the area and the people who live here.
Residents shouldn’t be left constantly firefighting these piecemeal applications. The truth is clear: the cumulative impact is swelling beyond what anyone signed up for, and councillors need to ring the schoolbell on it.
Next step will be for hosting weddings, funerals, prom parties etc……Seems to confuscate between educational charity and commercial activity?
Shut it down.
You know it makes sense.
More drunkenness
More drink driving
We seem to have a lot of nimby objectors living in Kemp Town, these licences are for specific events, concerts recitals it is not your local wetherspoons.
The last but one comment just illustrates how little interruptions the college activities cause in the local environment. The college has been hosting weddings and funerals in its beautiful chapel for decades with no problems at all impacting the locality.
Some local residents have objections of a political nature, not liking private schools and various reasons surrounding privilege etc. Perfectly and honestly held views but not really appropriate.
My point is that these are commercial ventures not in keeping with the charitable status of an educational establishment. I have, on occasion, represented the college in a sporting environment. I have relatives that work there so I don’t think you can level those accusations at me.