Dozens of neighbours objected to a bakery’s application for a drinks licence at its new premises in Fiveways in Brighton.
The Flour Pot bakery wants the licence so that it can sell beer and wine at its new shop in King’s Parade, Ditchling Road, previously an HSBC bank branch.
The bakery chain said last summer that it wanted to open a cookery school there, as well as a bakery, having moved from premises round the corner in Preston Drove.
The bakery’s owner, Juniper Catering Limited, run by Oliver Hyde, 47, has applied to Brighton and Hove City Council to operate the premises as a café, restaurant and bar.
The licence application included a patio area on the corner of Hythe Road and this caused concern for some neighbours.
In all, 27 letters objected to the application to sell alcohol on and off the premises from 10am to 10pm daily. Most focused on the outdoor tables, late-night noise and parking problems.
As a result, the application is due to go before a council licensing panel, made up of three councillors, on Thursday (17 March).
One objector, whose details were redacted by the council on its website, said: “Flour Pot has increased pedestrian activity and added to pressure from traffic on a really busy road where parking is already difficult.
“Longer hours and an alcohol licence would make all of this worse and also create noise at night.
“I hope that Flour Pot can continue as a bakery in Hythe Road and find a more suitable place to expand their business that isn’t in a residential area.”
Another objector from the area, whose details were also redacted by the council, said: “The idea of a bar opening at the end of the road sits very badly and is not in line with our street.
“It would cause huge amounts of noise pollution and disturbance. Children will be kept awake and disturbed, elderly residents and families alike. We simply do not want or need this.”
The company posted a notice in its shop window after people shared their concerns about the application on a Fiveways area social media group. It said that it was not planning to operate a bar but a café/restaurant.
The Flour Pot licence application said: “The premises will be a food-led family-friendly environment.
“The sale of intoxicating liquor shall be by waiter/waitress service for consumption by persons seated at tables and there will be no vertical drinking.”
The term vertical drinking refers to customers standing to drink at a bar or in a crowded premises.
The licensing panel hearing is due to start at 10am on Thursday and is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
