A Brighton pub is having a harder time extending its opening hours for Pride after failing to follow the rules for the last four years.
The sheer numbers of customers spilling out from St James’ Tavern in Madeira Place last year even led to the closure of St James’s Street.
Both Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council’s Environmental Protection department have opposed an application from the Madeira Place pub to open until the early hours.
In its statement, council officers say they issued “strong warnings” during previous Prides.
A panel of three councillors will hear from all sides on Wednesday, 3 June and decide whether the pub can have its requested Pride extension.
The pub’s designated premises supervisor Victoria Bennett, who has responsibility for alcohol sales, has applied for a temporary event notice (TEN) to extend the licence.
During Pride weekend the application is to allow for closing at 3am on Saturday 1 August, 4am on Sunday 2 August and 1am on Monday 3 August.
St James’s existing licence has the pub closing at 12.30am Sunday to Thursday and 1.30am on Friday and Saturday (Saturday and Sunday early hours).
However, in its objection, Sussex Police has said the force has “lost faith” with the pub management.
In 2025, the force says the pub served so many customers who emptied onto the streets, and stayed in the area due to loud music, resulting in the closure of St James’s Street on the Saturday.
In 2024, cleanup was slow after the Pride Village Party.
In 2023, the venue opened the bar before its permitted hours, took a long time to clear up and had glass bottles outside with customers dancing on the benches.
In 2022, the pub’s outside street bar was open past permitted hours on the Saturday and Sunday of Pride weekend despite being reminded of the trading hours on the Saturday.
Brighton and Hove division’s licensing and neighbourhood policing sergeant, whose name is redacted by the council, said: “Due to the previous issues, we have lost faith in the venue being run in a responsible manner as set out within the TEN.
“The weekend is a very busy time and massive resourcing operation for the police as well as other emergency services and partner agencies.”
A council environmental protection official whose details are also redacted in the panel papers said noise complaints were received in August 2022 during the early hours of the Monday morning.
In April 2023, during a pre-Pride visit, both council officials and Sussex Police gave a strong verbal warning about not going over times.
During the Pride weekend that year, Environmental Protection, police and the council had to visit the pub more than once because of breaches and noise.
In April 2024, police, environmental protection and council licensing had a “serious conversation” with the designated premises supervisor to not repeat the incidents from the previous years.
During Pride in 2024, there were complaints about loud music from the pub after end of Pride Village Party and the designated premises supervisor was written to.
Before Pride 2025 Sussex Police, council licensing and environmental protection held a joint meeting at the pub with the premises licence holders to make it clear there was no permission for outside activity .
No music or speakers were permitted outside but a TEN was permitted for extended hours inside the pub.
During Pride weekend last year the various agencies visited the pub and raised concerns about public safety due to the large number of people drinking outside in a road which was open to traffic.
The pub was issued with a Community Protection Warning by Environmental Protection after being asked to address the problems and a temporary road closure was put in place due to safety concerns.
The Environmental Protection objection said: “Having regard to the above incidents responded to by the local authority and the police during these previous Prides the council has no confidence in the management and running of this pub with extended hours and the use of DJs and loud music and that this event will be a repeat of the previous years.
“I am concerned that public nuisance will result and public safety will be at risk.”
The application states two SIA registered door staff will be on duty from 9pm on Friday 31 July, and from 2pm to 10pm on Sunday 2 August, and three on Saturday 1 August from 5pm to close.
Risk assessments will be carried out to established if any more SIA staff are needed at the pub which has a maximum capacity of 499.
At least one member of staff will be on duty on the first floor when it is in use.
The virtual licensing panel hearing is scheduled for webcast from 10am on Wednesday 3 June.
How many warnings and how much guidance do these muppets need ?
A waste of time and resources.
Just say NO !!
So did anyone die, was anyone hurt. No so what’s the problem with a pub staying open late other than some jobs worth rules about closing times, absolute nonsense the lot of it.
You can either have rules for licensed premises or you don’t.
If you do then you have to have enforcement each and every day of the year.
Or would you prefer a free for all? A free for all that could actually lead to people being hurt.
When you take on a licensed premises you do it on the basis that you’ll follow the conditions of your license. If you don’t then there are consequences.
The Police and Ian Biard from the council in charge of outdoor events want someone to blame for the failure of plans they put in place. By excluding most of the scenes venues and local pubs around St James street by having an expensive corporate event on the seafront the plans to leave St James Street open to traffic failed due to the number of people in the area as predicted by locals.
The council and the police created a easy target around St James Street for a terrorist attack.
Now they are blaming local pubs for failures that are down to the Police and Ian Biard.
Exactly. They have excluded most of the Pride trade which local pubs and businesses used to rely on and now seek to penalise those pubs and businesses yet again for trying to redress the balance. I’d rather Pride-goers drank in pubs than on the streets! And where sufficient toilets are also provided! The whole events strategy, and in particular, where all the money goes, needs a full independent audit. If events are no longer benefitting local businesses and the local economy, why are we putting up with their absolute city disruption in hijacking our public spaces, presumably for largely-private gain?
Is that the sound of chickens coming home to roost I hear?
Simple, put them on restricted opening times until THEY prove the pub can be managed responsibly, the “loose” opening hours is what attracts the noisy don’t wanna go home customers, to the detriment of others in the neighbourhood.
This pub has great landlords I frequent them on a regular basis. They are friendly and anyone doing drugs and behaving in a bad way they control. Can’t believe the negativity against this venue. Very small minded people leaving comments who have never been there to see for themselves. Their neighbours have a vendetta against them !
https://www.rio.com/rio-carnival/rio-carnival-2026
If I owned the Pub I’d just close it for the day…
Pride in St James’ street has had its time and is out of hand!
This pub is a great pub and the management are great too, this is all just a load of garbage.
Unbelievable the number of people who seem to think local businesses can survive on fresh air and it’s ok to deprive them of access or business. Especially pubs, which are closing down at a rate of knots and need all the support they can get! If people are going to drink, I want to see them drinking in pubs and bars. With landlords and toilets present. And someone to call the emergency services immediately if there is any type of issue or incident.
Noise complaints from neigbours ? Really? If you shoose to live in the centre of town, near a pub (as I do by the way), I would suggest that you
1 Stip whinging
2. Put your big boy pants on
3. Invest in some noise cancelling ear plugs
4. Learn to live with it (or move) !!!!
Due to the extra strain on resources propagated by this venue, get them to contribute if they wish to extend hours. I’m sure that would sort out the situation.
Just stop having the pride event, easy.
Pride brings a lot of business to Brighton, from pubs, hotels, restaurants, shopping. It would be an unbelievably bad idea economically.
The problem on St James street is down to Ian Biard the person in charge of council outdoor events. He decided to to exclude most of the scenes gay bars and other pubs around St James street by having a costly corporate event on seafront.
He wanted to leave St James street open to traffic causing a easy target for a terrorist attack. St James street had to be closed because of the amount of people in the area that is not the local pubs fault but a predictable outcome from a very inexperienced Ian Biard who knew nothing about past prides and why St James street had to be Fenced off.
Ian Biard and the police are just trying to find someone to blame for a problem they caused.
If anyone wants a cheap Pride where you don’t have to pay expensive entry fee’s and expensive drinks that no one has heard of before just head to St James area on Sat and Sun and make your own day at a fraction of the price whilst supporting local venues and shops that Ian Biard has excluded.