An indoor golf venue has been granted a drinks licence – but not for 2am as originally proposed.
Jungle Rumble, in East Street, Brighton, can serve alcohol until midnight on week days and until 1am at weekends.
The decision was made by a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel made up of three councillors who met on Thursday 18 January.
Jungle Rumble is a national chain operated by Angus Wright, 56, and Georgina Wright, 50, with a crazy golf course in Madeira Drive, Brighton.
Its new venture is known as One Under, based in the former Seasons restaurant premises in part of the Savoy Centre, formerly the ABC cinema, in East Street.
Neighbours raised concerns about noise before and during the hearing on Thursday 18 January. As a result, the company agreed to fit a sound limiter and restrict bottle disposal to between 8am and 9pm daily.
Neighbours also raised concerns about security staff talking late into the night and the potential noise from proposed live music events.
The business’s designated premises supervisor, Craig Derbyshire, who will have responsibility for alcohol sales, said that some soundproofing had taken place.
He offered to give his contact details to concerned residents living in the neighbouring grade II listed Clarendon Mansions.
The panel, made up of councillors Paul Nann, Joy Robinson and Tobias Sheard, said that they were “mindful” that East Street was within an area designated a “cumulative impact zone”.
The area was already “saturated” with licenced premises and there were concerns about crime and disorder, affecting residents, many of whom have lived in the area for decades.
But, the panel was told, a shadow licence permitted the site to operate as a night club until 3am, which gave the site “special circumstances”.
The panel said: “The panel agree that the style and nature of the intended operation is different and capable of being considered non-alcohol led.
“The applicant and legal team have also worked well with the responsible authorities to agree a set of robust and tailored conditions which reinforce the style of operation of these premises and further concessions have been agreed at the hearing.
“The panel remains concerned about the late hours and the impact of those on the area and adjacent local residents, especially noise of people entering and leaving the premises.”
Those concerns about late-night noise led the council to set hours from Sunday to Thursday from 10am to midnight and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 1am the next morning.
