Brighton College can sell alcohol from its new theatre building after it was granted a variation to its licence.
Ten neighbours objected to the independent school’s application to allow drink sales at the 400-seat Richard Cairns theatre and the 100-capacity Sarah Abrahams Music School from 6pm to 10pm daily.
The school, in Eastern Road, Kemp Town, has an existing licence which permits alcohol sales every day from 11am to 1am.
The application was heard at a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel hearing on Wednesday 10 September by three councillors – John Hewitt, Sam Parrott and Kerry Pickett.
Kemptown United member and local resident Sarah Dawson, who submitted a petition signed by 227 people, spoke against the application.
She said that the school was an international business that was disrupting the community.
Another neighbour, John Coulthard, who is also a member of Kemptown United, spoke about how evening events affected the neighbourhood.
He said that visitors to the college “disregard” the disabled bays and residents-only parking in zone H.
Brighton College’s director for projects at UK schools, Steve Patten, said that the school used to hold events in the great hall. The hall has a much larger capacity than the new theatre building.
He said that the college had no plans to increase the number of performances but was simply moving the venue.
And the college’s current licence allows alcohol sales later than needed.
The council said in its decision letter: “We noted the concerns of the residents that this was, to paraphrase, the thin edge of the wedge.
“The college was clear that they did not seek any more events than historically had been put on and, while they welcomed community engagement, they were obliged to add at least 14 events of varying size.”
I think we should await Benji’s response to this article .
Shouldn’t take long ….
Don’t speak too soon, Benny really is a skidmark on all the comments pages. It’s genuinely pleasant not to see his prattling uninformed diatribe on here for once
Leigh
At least he responds to the topic of the article rather than just attacking other posters.
What is YOUR view on the approval of the application?
Are you in favour or not?
Well, I don’t want to disappoint you, Rupert, lol. Leigh has never said anything other than basic insults and libel, and I see we are continuing that tradition today.
Back to an adult conversation, my thoughts on the matter are that I am wondering if the new ward councillor will take a strong stance on Brighton College’s incrementalism? She said she would in her campaign and has a history with them vocationally.
This variation was very likely to go through, as it was a license that they already had, and I’d imagine they would have been argued it was a reduction in usage of that license, and previous track record.
Everywhere is getting an Alcohol License right now aren’t they-Hove Muesum is aswell.
It seems that’s the latest thing to bring in the Trade if you can have a drink of a night at a Event.
Why does this College always get everything that it wants?
Something is rotten in the state of Kemp Town.
I’ve started calling it Kemptown Campus. It’s the expansion by degrees that concerns me. If all their previous planning applications were put together, they’d likely be marked as overdevelopment, in my opinion.
With the exception of the “deans” all of Brighton is rapidly becoming one huge campus…
Why can people not distinguish between the verb, license and the noun licence? Maybe Brighton College need to step up their community work! lol