Nick Carter Esq, Licensing Manager, Bristol City Council, Princess House, Princess Street, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4AG
Dear Mr Carter
Applicant name: Mr Aly Hussein Premises: Blue Lagoon, 20 Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol
Application received date: 1 August 2013 Application ref number: 13/02453/PREM
Proposed relevant licensable activities to be carried on or from the premises:
Sale of Alcohol Sunday to Thursday 08:00 – 00:00, Sale of Alcohol Friday and Saturday 08:00 - 01:00
Films Sunday 12:00 – 23:00, Films Monday to Thursday 12:00 – 00:00, Films Friday and Saturday 12:00 – 01:00, Live Music Mon to Sun 12:00 - 00:00, Recorded Music Sun to Thur 07:30 – 00:00, Recorded Music Fri and Sat 07:00 - 01:00
Performances of Dance Sunday to Thursday 12:00 – 23:00, Performances of Dance Friday & Saturday 12:00 – 00:00, Late Night Refreshment Sunday to Thursday 23:00 – 00:00
Late Night Refreshment Friday and Saturday 23:00 – 01:00,
Opening hours applied for: Sunday to Thursday 07:30 – 00:00, Friday and Saturday 07:30 - 01:30
On behalf of the Bishopston Society, I would like to register our objection to the above application to extend the opening hours of the premises as shown above.
Firstly, the premises fall within the Gloucester Road Cumulative Impact Area (CIA). The CIA, which was asked for by the Police, was adopted after much consultation on 1st August 2010 as a result of significant public nuisance in the area associated with licensed premises. The policy for CIAs is based on evidence that, in particular, the sale of alcohol has led to a fall in the quality of life for local residents as a result of noise, littering, vandalism, public disorder, criminal damage and other forms of anti-social behaviour including vomiting and public urination
Under the terms of the CIA policy, it is assumed that the impact of licensed premises is cumulative and that, in particular, it is not always possible to determine the source of the individuals causing the public nuisance. It is therefore accepted that objectors to new or extended licences do not need to provide specific evidence of public nuisance attached to a particular premises. We have no doubt that the opening hours sought through this application would exacerbate the existing problems by providing more late night alcohol for sale in a mixed area, with residential properties in very close proximity. Would it not counter the Council's own Licensing Policy to approve an application of this nature?
The CIA was imposed on the area partly in recognition of the fact that alcohol misuse has resulted in chronic antisocial behaviour listed above which has had an unacceptable nuisance impact on local residents. Longer opening hours of this establishment would have a negative impact on Crime and Disorder, which is one of the licensing objectives within the CIA.
Whilst the extension of hours for selling of alcohol may be a new facility, it is not one which is desired in the area and will, we fear, risk further nuisance and public disorder. You may be aware of the 'normal' Saturday and worse still Sunday early morning squalor and unpleasantness which now extends from Stokes Croft, up the Cheltenham Road to the CIA of the Gloucester Road and streets off these main roads.
We request that this application is refused.
Yours sincerely
R Boswell
Secretary - on behalf of the Bishopston Society