A new drinks licence has been granted for St Peter’s Square, in Brighton, on the south side of St Peter’s Church, with the site operating for shorter hours than in previous years.
Brighton and Hove City Council applied for the licence and four neighbours objected.
A council licensing panel, consisting of three councillors – Julie Cattell, Sam Parrott and Kerry Pickett – decided to grant the application.
Operators on the site will be able to serve alcohol from 10am to 10pm from Sunday to Wednesday and from 10am to 10.30pm from Thursday to Saturday.
At a hearing on Friday 6 February, Ashton Rise resident Fred Corneby said that he had endured sleep deprivation from “relentless loud music and bass” in Valley Gardens during May.
Mr Corneby said: “Since the council decided to change the gardens at the end of our road to make it an outdoor arena, I now live with heightened anxiety knowing that my life will be impacted at any time by a pop-up event but, in particular, during the Fringe.”
He also said that there had been a lack of leafleting about the Spiegelgarden and a feeling of being “belittled” after complaining about noise at public meetings.
The licensing panel recognised residents’ complaints about insufficient advertising of the application over Christmas and an ineffective complaints system.
And the panel noted that the council’s outdoor events team was giving up its 2am licence which covers the length of Valley Gardens from Victoria Gardens to St Peter’s Place, just to the north of St Peter’s Church.
Instead, it applied for three separate licences, with the latest finishing at 11pm.
The council said in its decision letter: “The panel do take very seriously the concerns of those who made representations.
“However, this licence application is to replace an existing wider licence and the panel appreciates that the applicant has worked hard to try to accommodate the concerns of residents and considers that this licence, with all the conditions, is an improvement on the existing licence.
“Furthermore, there are no major events planned for these premises other than daytime activities such as markets.”
They hand out licences to sell alcohol like confetti these days…oh hang on, no confetti outside the church!
Only on wedding days, and get a few in at the same time