The Assistant Director Waste, Fleet and Transport Services will present a report (Document “E”) which outlines an application for a new premises licence for the sale of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises, the provision of regulated entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment.

Members are invited to consider the information and documents referred to in this report and, after hearing interested parties, determine the related application.

(Melanie McGurk – 01274 431873)

RECORD OF A HEARING FOR A PREMISES LICENCE FOR JJ’S BAR, 1 WEST LANE, THORNTON, BRADFORD

Commenced:1033

Adjourned:1107

Reconvened:1119

Concluded:1120

Present

Members of the Panel

Bradford District Licensing Panel: Councillor M Slater (Ch), Councillor M Smith and Councillor Whitaker

Parties to the Hearing

Representing the Applicant

Ms Jackson – applicant

Mr Jackson – son of applicant

Ms Scully – local business owner

Observers

Three local residents

Representations

The Assistant Director Waste, Fleet and Transport Services presented a report (Document “E”) which outlined an application for a new premises licence for the sale of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises, the provision of regulated entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment.

The Chair of the Panel asked for clarification in respect of the location of the older persons residential home referred to in the representations received, which was provided and confirmed by the applicant and the local residents present at the hearing.

The applicant then made representations in support of her application, refuting the objections received as she considered that concerns in respect of noise could not be substantiated as the upstairs to the premises had already been soundproofed and the downstairs was in the process of being insulated against noise. Her premises were adjacent the Black Horse pub which was a much bigger premises and which already provided music and karaoke. The applicant intended to have only individual singers or background music and considered that this would not mean any more noise was audible than at the present time.

She also advised that there was a paved area outside the pub for patrons to use as well as the pavement being very wide at that point, which meant that concerns about overcrowding on the pavement were not realistic. As the premises were extremely small only a low number of people would be outside the pub at any time. She noted that the hours being applied for were at the recommendation of the Members on the planning panel which had considered her planning application and who had advised making her hours of operation mirror those of the Black Horse pub.

In response to a question from a panel member, she advised that the pedestrian crossing was about 10 yards down the street from the premises.

She then introduced a fellow local business owner who had operated her business in the area for many years and invited her to speak on the subject of road traffic accidents in the area. She did so, advising the panel that there had been two serious accidents in the area, neither of which had been close to the location of the premises applied for. She also stated her support for a new business in the area.

The applicant also considered that two of the objections were of limited relevance as one lived further along the lane than the Black Horse pub and the other was resident in York and did not state whereabouts in Thornton village her parents lived.

Members of the panel asked questions about the dimensions of the premises; what type of late night refreshment was envisaged and what outside space and parking was available. They were informed that the building was five metres by five metres square and that, as there would be a bar and a staircase downstairs, space would be limited and patrons would not gather in numbers. The late night refreshment envisaged was simply tea or coffee and, while the entrance to the premises was not straight onto the pavement, there was little other outside space and no parking available. There was however, sufficient on street parking in the nearby vicinity.

Members also asked about the numbers of patrons that were envisaged and whether patrons would move back and forth between these premises and the Black Horse pub. The applicant advised that a maximum of 25 to 30 patrons at any one time was envisaged and that it was not expected that people would move between the two premises as a different clientele was envisaged at each venue.

The applicant also presented for members’ information a copy of a sound report on the upstairs to the premises from 2012 and photographs of the insulation works currently taking place on the ground floor.

She concluded her representations by stressing that she was applying to mirror the hours at the Black Horse pub; that she did not intend to have live bands or loud music and that there was extremely limited room for tables inside the premises.

In response to a final question from the Chair, she confirmed that the windows to the upstairs of her premises were capable of opening but that this was no different to the neighbouring premises.

 Resolved –

That, having considered all valid representations made by the parties to the hearing, valid written representations received during the statutory period, the published statement of licensing policy and relevant statutory guidance, the panel grants the application as applied for.

ACTION: Assistant Director Waste Fleet and Transport Services