A pub in the centre of Brighton pub wants to stay open later but faces a formal hearing after police and council officials objected to its licence application.
The Mesmerist, in Prince Albert Street, Brighton, has applied to be able to sell alcohol and play live and recorded music and host similar entertainment for an extra hour.
If successful, the cut-off time would be 2am from Monday to Friday and 3am on Saturdays and Sundays.
The pub also wants to extend the hours of its late-night refreshment licence, allowing the sale of food and hot and cold non-alcoholic drinks until 2.30am from Monday to Friday and 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The 9am opening time would remain unchanged.
The pub has also applied to be able to open at non-standard times to allow it to show major sporting events such as those involving England men’s or women’s teams.
Drinks would go on sale up to one hour before the start of the sporting event and the cut-off time would be 30 minutes after the end.
The Mesmerist, part of the Laine Pub and Brewery Group, said that it would notify the police at least seven days before such an event.
Brighton and Hove City Council has received objections from Sussex Police, the council’s environmental protection team and the licensing team on the grounds of prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance.
Sussex Police said that the one-hour extension would have people leaving the pub at the force’s busiest time in the centre of Brighton.
Sergeant Kate Hancox said: “This is arguably the busiest time in the night-time economy across the week, especially at weekends, and so requires special scrutiny and discussion.
“Offering additional licensable activity into the early hours encourages persons who may be already under the influence of alcohol or drugs to remain in the area which is at the heart of the night-time economy in Brighton.
“This increases the risk of crime and disorder, anti-social behaviour and public nuisance.”
Sussex Police said that it dealt with more than 1,200 crimes in the past year within 400 yards of the pub.
The force said that the total included 467 thefts, 334 offences involving violence, 63 drug offences and 42 sexual offences among others.
And 345 of the 1,208 crimes occurred between the hours of midnight and 4am.
Sergeant Hancox also said that the pub could serve a temporary event notice (TEN) if it wanted to open especially for a sporting event outside the usual hours.
A senior council licensing official, Sarah Cornell, said that the business already had later hours than would usually be permitted for a pub in the centre of Brighton.
She also said that the business had not consulted with the responsible authorities as would be expected before applying for such a variation.
The environmental protection team objected to the later hours, citing “persistent” complaints from neighbours about loud music and noisy people.
Environmental health officer Chinwe Ihemefor said: “Environmental protection received a noise diary detailing repeated occurrences of loud music on the 5th, 6th, 7th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 19th of February, as well as persistent people noise from the garden area.
“In light of the current pattern of disturbance, environmental protection is seriously concerned that any extension to licensable hours would exacerbate noise impacts and significantly heighten the risk of nuisance which would be directly contrary to the ‘prevention of public nuisance’ licensing objective.”
The Laine Pub and Brewery Group was approached for comment.
A licensing panel hearing is due to start at 10am on Wednesday 6 May. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast.
So why would you live next door to a pub in the city centre if your easily upset by a bit of noise… And why is an extra hour going to make the slightest bit of difference to policing. Absurd nonsense as usual from the licencing teams
Over the last 30 years the opening hours have been extended, a lot, but not all the residents have changed, they just get older and still have rights. State of the town gets worse, costs more to maintain and looks worse than previous years, RESIDENTS HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO PROTEST AGAINST DEGRADATION AT THEIR EXPENSE, unlike people who only visit the area.
@Deano. Yep. If you live in the centre of town, expect noise. I would also have though for policing reasons (and Brighton’s economy in general), closing time should be when the first trains leave.