A café boss is waiting to learn whether he can have a licence to sell alcohol after neighbours objected.
They said that they were worried about potential noise and anti-social behaviour at Billies Café, in Hampton Place, Brighton, on the corner of Upper North Street.
A Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel held a hearing today (Tuesday 16 June) after six residents and a councillor objected to the application by Billies for a premises licence.
The owner, Hani Abadi, 48, has applied for a licence to sell drink from 11am to 11pm daily.
Neighbour Jacky Millar (corr) has lived in Hampton Place for 40 years. She spoke on behalf of residents and said that the community had had a good relationship with Billies over the years.
But people in the neighbourhood felt that another drinks licence in a street with a restaurant at the bottom, the Hampton Arms next door and the Windmill further along the road was not balanced.
She said: “To ask for an alcohol licence seven days a week until 11 at night I think is excessive and will upset the pleasure of living in Hampton Place.
“There’s also the issue of noise. These are listed buildings. There’s single glazing to the café. Noise will, I feel, definitely affect the street.”
Hampton Place is in the Montpelier and Clifton Conservation Area, with the majority of houses grade II listed.
Labour councillor Alison Thomson, who represents Regency ward, spoke on behalf of an Upper North Street resident who had experienced anti-social behaviour in the area.
Councillor Thomson read from the resident’s statement, saying: “The police have advised those of us who live in Upper North Street to instal ring doorbells for our personal safety because of theft, property damage and the concentration of alcohol-led disturbances in the immediate area.
“I’ve had to call the police while stuck in my car because of a brawl opposite my home and I was particularly concerned about knife crime.
“I’ve also had to make two complaints to the police for damage to my property from paint being thrown at my door.”
She also said that the area had limited parking.
Council licensing officer Donna Lynsdale said that “robust” draft licence conditions had been agreed with Sussex Police which was why the force had not objected to the application.
These included restricting alcohol sales to people sitting at tables with a main meal and displaying signs reminding customers to leave quietly.
The council’s licensing team did not object to the application because it complied with council licensing policy.
Mr Abadi, who has owned the café for 15 years, told the panel that his staff would receive regular training on the sale of alcohol.
He told the panel that the business had made losses in two of the past three years. It lost £5,000 in 2023 and £9,000 in 2024 although it did make a £9,000 profit last year.
Mr Abadi said: “I don’t want to do evenings. I don’t want to get alcohol. I was happy with what we were taking.
“The reason behind this? I’m sure everybody knows – the increase in prices, the minimum wage, petrol, the rent, expenses, everything.”
One of the panel members, Conservative councillor Ivan Lyons, asked if Mr Abadi would accept a 10.30pm closing time. He said that he would.
The panel of three councillors – Andrei Czolak, Ivan Lyons and Ollie Sykes – retired to make their decision which should be made public within five working days.
