Neighbours have objected to a Brighton bar and restaurant’s application to extend its Sunday trading times by opening two hours earlier.
Brighton Cocktail Company, in Dyke Road, applied to Brighton and Hove City Council to serve alcohol from 10am until 10.30pm on Sundays, in line with its Saturday opening hours.
The company also wants an off-sales licence for its “cocktails by post” service although this did not draw any objections from neighbours or a council licensing panel.
At a licensing panel hearing held remotely today (Tuesday 25 July), neighbours – who have gardens in Montpelier Crescent backing on to the bar – shared their concerns about more customer noise at weekends.
Jane Collins, who has lived in Montpelier Crescent for 30 years, said that neighbours had not experienced noise from the venue under previous operators or from the nearby pub, the Crescent.
She said: “It almost feels as if there’s a party atmosphere going on that starts quite early and goes on until way past 11pm so we can’t use our gardens at all in this residential area.
“The idea of an extension on a Sunday morning, when it’s already intolerable, that this would carry on all day means we can’t use our gardens in the summer and we have to shut our windows.”
Another concern was the “echo chamber” effect of noise from the venue’s garden around the crescent.
Neighbour Claudia Nella works from home throughout the week and weekend. She said: “Sometimes this noise starts in the afternoon and I can hear it in my house where I work as an osteopath – and it’s not really appropriate for the work I’m doing.
“It’s very irritating. People get louder as they get drunker later in the afternoon.”
Brighton Cocktail Company director Shannon Severy, 29, said that the company was formed during lockdown to sell online cocktail kits.
When she bought the bar, Ms Severy gave up her previous premises which had a licence for mail-order cocktails. She said: “Daytime trade is essential for us. It’s something we need to stay open.
“We can open earlier every other day of the week. It’s noon opening. We miss a lot of the brunch and daytime trade.”
Ms Severy told the panel – made up of three councillors – that she had been touch with residents to hear about their concerns.
She offered to limit the number of large event bookings which she believed had caused much of the noise that neighbours complained about.
Even though the business is licensed to open from 10am on weekdays, it tended to open at 4pm during the week and 11am on Saturdays, she said. On Sundays, it was usually closed by 6pm.
The panel – comprising councillors Julie Cattell, Joy Robinson and Alison Thomson – retired to make its decision which should be made public within five working days.
I live right next to a pub in Hove , it was there long before i moved here so i expect noise at certain times. We don’t object to live music either or a disco for weddings etc.
I can’t see the problem with a bar opening at 10am on a Sunday morning. It is very unlikely you will get noisy people at that hour anyway. Accept the pub OR MOVE.
I’ve lived in Brighton for 28 years and have really enjoyed its Liberal bohemian attitude however as time has gone on there’s a ever increasing moaning bout noise brigade …Brighton has always been a bustling social noisy place to live….acce0t it or move somewhere quieter would be my advice
This item and similar noise issues we have personally encountered this past month have stopped us buying in Brighton or Hove sadly. Us? Back to Arundel or Chichester.
I live very near this bar. I rarely frequent it but am very happy for them to extend their business hours as one of the reasons I chose to live in this central area was for the buzz.