A café bar in central Brighton has been granted planning permission to extend its opening hours to 10.30pm each day.
The hours at the premises occupied by Rumour Has It, at 10 Duke’s Lane, were previously restricted by a planning condition to 6pm.
The restriction dated from 2005 when planning consent was given to a redevelopment of the area.
Rumour Has It’s owner, Bar Logic, run by Alexander Doukakis, 50, and Kate Lewis, 34, applied to Brighton and Hove City Council for permission for the coffee and aperitivo venue to stay open later.
Five objectors raised concerns about the prospect of noise from the outside seating area as well as not wishing to have another drinking venue in the area.
The building was previously occupied by vegan and gluten-free cafe bar Brand Sixteen which had a drinks licence.
When the council’s Planning Committee met on Wednesday (1 October), councillors were reminded that licensing was a separate regime to planning – and they were advised to grant planning permission.
Ms Lewis, who attended the meeting on behalf of Bar Logic, said that the business had a licence which required it to close its outside area at 9pm.
Labour councillor Joy Robinson asked if the committee could put the same conditions on the use of outside seating. Members voted five to four against the proposal.
Such conditions would bind future occupants even though, for example, under council licensing policy, a restaurant would generally be entitled to operate later.
Councillor Alison Thomson, who chairs the Planning Committee, did not take part in debating or deciding the application, having left the meeting because she had discussed the case with residents as their ward councillor.
Labour councillor Tobias Sheard, took the chair. He voted against imposing a planning condition that would reinforce the 9pm end time for outside seating.
He said: “I do think this is being a little excessive as this is the city centre. If you’re living in the city centre, having a bit of noise is part and parcel of living there.
“I think this is slightly excessive to enforce something that is already being done through licensing anyway.”
Conservative councillor Carol Theobald said: “This is in the city centre. It’s a fairly busy area.
“I was concerned about the outside area but, now I’ve been told that information, I think it needs to be minuted to make sure it doesn’t go past 9pm. I’m more satisfied with this.”
Green councillor Kerry Pickett said: “People worry about the sound and it’s a very narrow alley that people walk up.
“But the fact the applicant has done everything they can to mitigate noise and blocking the area – I think they’ve done quite a lot.
“They have already been to licensing first. They’ve come to planning. They’re doing everything they should. It looks like a good application to me.”
The committee gave its unanimous approval to the later operating hours for the premises.
Love this. Will come down and see you.
How exciting