'Community pub' hits back after being accused of 'not playing by the rules'
Wirral Council has refused to grant a New Brighton pub permission to extend its opening hours until 2.30am. The Sandridge which was described by its landlord as a “community pub” faced strong opposition from neighbours who said noise and other issues were currently a problem.
The Sandridge on Rowson Street in New Brighton is operated by Ridge Bar and Diner Limited. The company had applied to stay open to 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays and sell alcohol and provide late night refreshment until 2am on those days but other than that, its hours wouldn’t change.
The pub had originally asked to sell alcohol until 2am and stay open until 3am seven days a week but following discussions with Merseyside Police, this was dropped. Police did not object to the licence being granted.
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Merseyside Police were also happy for the pub to stay open until 2am on the Sunday and Monday on bank holiday weekends as well as Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve. A number of conditions had also been put forward by police such as CCTV, staff training, and a Challenge 25 policy.
The licence application came to a Wirral Council committee meeting on September 18 because of a number of objections from people living in the area with 56 people signing a petition submitted by New Brighton councillor Tony Jones as well as 28 people writing in individually. They complained about noise coming from customers, karaoke playing beyond the 11.30pm cut off, customers urinating, and broken glass being left nearby.
Natalie Burridge who has run the Sandridge for nine years said the reason for the extension of hours was because the business was struggling and that many customers were leaving to go to the nearby Phoenix that’s open later, adding: “From my point of view, they could spend money in my pub.”
No issues had been raised by Environmental Health, who Mrs Burridge said she worked with to resolve any issues that came up and that she hadn’t had a noise complaint in three years. However people living nearby complained about noise levels and accused the pub’s staff of ignoring their concerns.
However New Brighton councillor Tony Jones raised a number of issues including the pub’s location in a densely populated area with lots of people living in earshot, how close it was to special needs accommodation, and the doors of the pub being kept open during the summer. He said he was once in the pub when karaoke was still being played after 11.30pm.
He said no one wanted to see “archaic” restrictions imposed on the pub, adding: “I do not think it’s anyone’s fault in particular but the lasting impression is there are accusations in increasing frequency that the pub isn’t playing by the rules of the licence.” He said people's concerns "aren’t speculative, they aren’t made up, they aren’t imaginative.”
One resident, who introduced himself as Mr Wills, claimed on September 6, karaoke was still playing at half past midnight while on September 13, there was “an altercation” and arguing between a man and a woman outside the pub. Complaints were made about customers smoking in front of the pub but this is because the pub has to close its beer garden at 10pm due to assisted living homes behind it.
Mr Wills said the children in one house had woken up their mum and dad due to the noise, adding: “The experience that local residents have is not a good one, not a good one at all.” He asked for the entire licence to be reviewed.
He said: “It’s a constant problem. The noise is a constant problem. Whenever there is music on in the pub or a band on in the pub, the noise is constant.”
Another man, introduced as Mr Miller said they had expected noise when they moved in opposite a pub but added: “We are regularly prevented from getting to sleep or woken from sleep."
Neighbours claimed they had tried to raise issues on a regular basis with the pub around 35 times and Wirral Council’s environmental health department on five occasions over what they believed to be three years. Council officers asked for specifics, adding: “There needs to be evidence as opposed to hearsay.”
Mrs Burridge disputed this as she was not aware of any noise complaints and the local authority’s licensing department said it had only received three complaints related to other unrelated issues. The landlord said: “I can’t deal with anything if I am not made aware of the problems.”
Mrs Burridge said she had tried to embrace the local community to try and get them on board and logged any incidents in the area even if it had nothing to do with the pub. She said: “My best friend lives on the road. Staff live on Rowson Street. If there is a problem, they are the first people on site,” adding: “We have got a good community pub and if there is a problem, it’s dealt with.”
In coming to their decision, councillors said they took into account the pub needing to expand its hours to support the business as well as its good working relationship with the local authority’s Environmental Health department, and a willingness to work with those complaining about noise.
However because of the complaints by people that the pub is already “causing disturbance,” issues like broken glass near the pub, evidence provided by Cllr Jones, and its location in an area surrounded by houses, they refused the application. The Sandridge will have the right to appeal.