A Brighton beer shop has secured longer opening hours after the owner made a successful case to a licensing panel hearing.
Lost and Found in Ditchling Road, Brighton, will be able to sell alcohol until 11pm Sunday to Thursday, and until midnight on Friday, Saturday and bank holidays, from a previous closing time of 9pm.
During the hearing on Monday 1 September, the panel of three councillors – Julie Cattell, Lucy Helliwell and Sam Parrott – heard from neighbours who were concerned about noise and people gathering outside the venue referred to as a beer café.
Owner Jon Rutter, 55, said that he had no plans to turn the shop into a fully fledged bar, adding that most of the business consisted of customers buying cans after sampling beers on sale from Sussex breweries.
He had checked his closed-circuit television (CCTV) following neighbours’ objections and found no evidence of customers gathering outside the venue after closing time.
In their decision, the panel said: “The panel considered that the applicant demonstrated a responsible attitude and was willing to meet the needs of his neighbours.
“The panel did not consider that there was evidence that people were congregating outside the premises drinking cans and causing a nuisance, and to that extent did not consider that the residents’ complaints were reasonable.
“The applicant had put forward a set of conditions which promoted the prevention of public nuisance licensing objective.
“However, the panel did consider that an earlier closing time for the outside patio area of 10pm hours was appropriate to prevent public nuisance and that smokers after this time should not be permitted to take their drinks outside.”
Mr Rutter will need to apply for a change of planning permission before changing to the new hours.
I didn’t think people bothered with planning permission anymore as Brighton Council fail to take any action against anyone that break it or follow up enforcements?