Absence of BCRP membership quoted in licence objection
Sussex Police and the city council have objected to a drinks licence for a new café and bar outside the newly refurbished Dome Studio Theatre in New Road.
The theatre, which is part of the major Corn Exchange redevelopment, has applied for consent to serve up to 70 people outside the premises, in addition to customers in the bar inside the venue, until midnight every day. The location of the venue, in the busy centre of Brighton, is in a cumulative impact zone [CIZ] where new licence applications tend to be refused unless there are “exceptional circumstances”.
The premises is owned by the city council but the licence application has been submitted by the new operator - Lucky Bean Ltd - which also owns Red Roaster in St James’s Street.
Twenty representations have been received with two opposing and 18 supporting the application.
The police and council objections relate to concerns about the prevention of crime and disorder, cumulative impact, public safety, prevention of public nuisance and protection of children from harm.
Inspector Michelle Palmer-Harris, from Sussex Police, said that the area had a significant number of licensed premises already and high crime rates, with much of the crime – and many of the ambulance callouts – drink-related. She said that in the past year Sussex Police had dealt with more than 800 incidents within 300 yards of the proposed venue including 370 violent crimes.
Inspector Palmer-Harris said: “Although not all of these are occurring within current premises within the locality … a high number of incidents dealt with by police are alcohol-related within this area.
She added: “The applicant has not offered any additional crime prevention conditions such as ‘SIA security’ on the door and a security mobile support unit nor joining the Brighton and Hove Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP).”
She added: “We do not believe that this application should be treated any differently to previous ones – and nor do we believe that exceptional circumstances have been given to depart from the policy.”
The council licensing panel hearing is due to start at 10:00 on 5 December and will be webcast on the council’s website.