County Durham nightclub's bid to extend opening hours refused amid fears of 'disorder'
A Consett nightclub's hopes to extend its trading hours have been dashed due to worries about disorder and public safety. K2/Union on Front Street sought permission to operate until 3am but was turned down at a licensing meeting held by Durham County Council on Tuesday.
Neighbouring venues Chaplains and Singers already enjoy a 3am closing time, leaving the club at a competitive disadvantage. The venue currently shuts at 2am, yet licence holder James McDonald proposed to extend hours to bolster its attractiveness for post-pub-goers seeking late-night entertainment.
He argued, "We look to put a lot more events on. The venues can run but not with a profit. Something has to be done to maintain trade."
READ MORE:DJ Johnnie Walker says goodbye to BBC Radio 2 as he leaves due to terminal illness
READ MORE:Northumberland town only North East location on UK's 'best place to live' list
Nevertheless, Durham Constabulary stood against the possibility of an extension, deeming it "totally unnecessary" as other establishments are available to patrons until 3am. The committee heard how Chaplains currently captivates the night crowd after Bar 1's earlier closure this year.
Amidst historic concerns of unruly behaviour that led to both Chaplains' and K2’s temporary closure in 2021, only Chaplains had successfully managed to stretch its hours to the coveted time slot. Meanwhile, K2/ Union continues to enjoy a slightly extended license till 2:30am during Boxing Day and bank holidays.
Police have raised concerns that extended opening times at local watering holes are contributing to a spike in post-midnight disorder. PC Iain Robertson revealed, "This hasn’t come without costs. Since the granting of Chaplains’ 3am licence, there’s been a 40 per cent increase in calls to Durham Constabulary post 2am. Of those 12 incidents, 10 related to violence and disorder."
The Environmental Protection Team from Durham County Council also cautioned about the possible adverse effects on residents' quality of life, suggesting that nearby fast-food joints might seek permission for elongated operating hours.
Meanwhile, speaking for Mr McDonald, Tim Robson assured the committee of his client's commitment to collaborating with authorities to mitigate any disturbances around the establishment, saying, "We will introduce whatever measures possible to ensure that noise is kept down," and emphasising, "We are actively willing to work with the police to ensure the premises operates without undermining the licensing objectives."
However, Sergeant Caroline Dickenson of Durham Constabulary expressed scepticism regarding the venue’s new proposals, asserting, "We feel that should another bar be granted a later licence it opens the floodgates and leads to a domino effect where more and more bars want to open later."
Echoing the force's reservations, the licensing committee decided against extending business hours, with its chair, Councillor Carole Hampson, concluding, "The hours you have asked for are outside of the licensing framework and we feel granting this extension would not promote the licensing objectives. ".
"Both the responsible authorities, environmental health and the police, have put forward very strong reasons why this extension should not be granted and we feel their objections have merit and should be listened to."
"The changes that were put to us today differ from the original application and we found this unfair, as the responsible authorities did not have the chance to consider and respond under the policy."