A café can continue to sell alcohol after the owner offered to close earlier following noise complaints from neighbours.
The Whitecliffs Café, in Marine Drive, Saltdean, can sell drinks from midday to midnight on Sunday to Thursday and on Fridays and Saturdays it can sell drinks from midday until 1am the next morning.
The new hours follow a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing review on Friday 6 December when the owner Julieanne Gilburt, also known as Julie-Anne Honeysett, told councillors that the café would be a food-led venue.
She said that, after hiring a new kitchen team led by a Michelin-starred chef, the business’s social media would have a focus on the food side.
Independent environmental health officer David Monk, who has worked with Ms Gilburt on sound management, also gave evidence to the panel – councillors Samer Bagaeen, Julie Cattell and John Hewitt.
Before the hearing, Ms Gilburt had put a noise management plan in place after replacing the old sound system with smaller speakers.
Mr Monk showed the panel an example of the new small speakers at Whitecliffs which will “burn out” if the sound is too loud.
At the hearing Ms Gilburt said that the review had been a “blessing in disguise” by providing “structure and deadlines” for the revamp.
After receiving the result, Ms Gilburt said: “This has been incredibly stressful, costly and nearly destroyed myself and affected many more of the team.
“But we are delighted that the council’s licensing panel found in our favour, relaxed some licence requirements so we can operate more flexibly and recognised all the positive measures we have put in place to remain a venue that puts the community at the heart of what we do.”
Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh requested the review after receiving complaints about noise from people in the area.
Councillor Fishleigh, who represents Rottingdean and West Saltdean, welcomed the proposals put forward at the hearing.
Apart from asking for earlier closing, instead of 3am, Councillor Fishleigh had also called for a licence condition that required people to order drinks while seated at tables to be removed. The panel agreed.
Councillor Fishleigh wished the café success, saying: “The review was never about the Whitecliffs losing its license and this option was never in play.
“It was to help people living near by who were disturbed by music well into the early hours of the morning at weekends – and when customers came up to the coast road to get home.
“Most Saltdean residents aren’t affected by this but enough were – and part of my role as a councillor involves taking up the complaints of the people I represent.”
In a decision letter, the council said: “The panel recognises and welcomes the efforts made and action taken by the licence holder since taking over the premises.
“It is clear that the issues which instigated the review have been overtaken by events and that the new business model is operating without undermining the licensing objective of prevention of public nuisance.
“In view of this it is appropriate to amend the licence to reflect this model and to update the licence conditions.”
