A late-night bar has been granted longer weekend opening hours after convincing councillors that the changes would not add to drink-related crime in the area.
Revolution, in West Street, Brighton, can now sell alcohol until 3.30am at weekends and can close at 4am. It retains a 2.30am licence and a 3am closing time the rest of the week.
The decision was made by a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel although Sussex Police and the council’s licensing team had objected to the extended hours, saying that West Street was a hot spot for late-night crime.
Claire Abdelkader, from the Sussex Police licensing unit, said that the police had dealt with more than 9,000 incidents over the past year in a relatively small area that included West Street, North Street and East Street.
Nearly half of those incidents were recorded crimes, predominantly theft, violence and public order offences.
The hearing was told that crimes peaked in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday, with 12 per cent of the week’s crime happening in the eight hours from midnight to 4am on the two days. At weekends, almost half the crimes involved violence.
Ms Abdelkader recognised that the applicant, Inventive Service Company Limited, which owns Revolution under the Revel Collective banner, had stayed open later than usual by serving temporary event notices (TENs).
It had done so 23 times since last October, when Pryzm, the night club across the road, was closed because of safety issues with the Kingswest building which includes the Odeon cinema.
But Ms Abdelkader said that the police had made it that clear the extensions should be regarded as temporary to make up for the loss of a venue with a capacity of more than 2,000 customers.
Rebecca Lowe, of Kuits Solicitors, for the Revel Collective, said that the application was for a modest extension of two hours a week – or three for a bank holiday weekend.
Revolution proposed stronger draft conditions on its licence, should its application be granted, including a minimum of two door staff wearing bodycams and using an ID scanning system from 9pm on Friday and Saturdays.
The decision was to grant the extra hours was made by a panel of three councillors – Julie Cattell, Steve Davis and Sam Parrott.
The decision letter from the council said: “The panel was impressed by how well thought out and detailed the application was, the high standard of professionalism in the operation of the venue and the submissions made.
“The panel found the argument of retaining customers within the premises and lessening movement around venues was persuasive and did not consider that dispersal would be adversely affected.
“The new measures proposed including ID scanner and enhanced requirements for door staff would be likely to have a positive impact in the area and would offset any risk.”
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