Objecting to an alcohol licence application - worth it?
Discussion
The district council have put a notice up on the lamp post in front of my house. It’s a notification of an application for an alcohol and music licence that has been lodged by a nearby sporting club. Looking at the application online they’ve asked for permission to serve alcohol and play live and recorded music between 14:00 and 23:00 all year round. Currently they do none of this. My house is about 20 metres from their club house so I’m not very pleased at the prospect and I’m wondering what chances I have of making a successful objection.
As a bit of background, this is a bowls club and they currently have matches most days from late spring to early autumn ( they’ve just finished for this year). It tends to attract people of a certain age, but they can sometimes get a bit noisy, shouting advice across the green to each other. The club was here for years before I bought my house so I knew what I was getting in to in terms of match day disturbances.
I’m not quite sure what they are trying to achieve with the licence application - it’s a glorified hut they operate from (though it has mains power and water). I can’t see them hosting live bands etc. Maybe it’s just how they are forced to frame the application and this is just so they can have the odd knees-up?
As a bit of background, this is a bowls club and they currently have matches most days from late spring to early autumn ( they’ve just finished for this year). It tends to attract people of a certain age, but they can sometimes get a bit noisy, shouting advice across the green to each other. The club was here for years before I bought my house so I knew what I was getting in to in terms of match day disturbances.
I’m not quite sure what they are trying to achieve with the licence application - it’s a glorified hut they operate from (though it has mains power and water). I can’t see them hosting live bands etc. Maybe it’s just how they are forced to frame the application and this is just so they can have the odd knees-up?
mcdjl said:
What are the odds they've been serving jugs of pimns for a few years and someone's only just had the thought that they're breaking the law by doing so. I'm a member of a licenced club and we have to have a separate licence to play recorded music for example.
Now I’ve had a bit of time to think about it, this is probably what it is. We have three pubs in the village, none of them doing particularly well, so I can’t really see the bowlers trying to open up in competition. I would be concerned.
If you've got a private members sports club, it's not unusual to have a bar.
From there, having events with loud live music is an easy progression.
Then comes hiring out the premises to members for parties etc.
Many sports clubs are struggling and looking for ways to boost income.
And attract younger members, and members who will bring income without necessarily having much to do with the sport.
You probably would not want to live next door to my Sailing Club.
If the building is not very substantial, even background music causes the sound level of conversation to go up, windows will be open half the year.
The other thing is, the club may be being taken over by parties who want to make it more commercial, or even sell/redevelop the premises etc.
If you've got a private members sports club, it's not unusual to have a bar.
From there, having events with loud live music is an easy progression.
Then comes hiring out the premises to members for parties etc.
Many sports clubs are struggling and looking for ways to boost income.
And attract younger members, and members who will bring income without necessarily having much to do with the sport.
You probably would not want to live next door to my Sailing Club.
If the building is not very substantial, even background music causes the sound level of conversation to go up, windows will be open half the year.
The other thing is, the club may be being taken over by parties who want to make it more commercial, or even sell/redevelop the premises etc.
paradigital said:
It may also be that they want to open up the venue to hired events.
I organised my mother’s wake to be at a bowling club (as we knew the owner of the club).
I would be more concerned if the premises were a bit more substantial and would lend themselves to that kind of thing. As I say, it’s a glorified hut, albeit with power and water. I doubt it would hold more than 30 people. It’s entirely enclosed by residential property with no car parking. I don’t even know if it has toilets. I organised my mother’s wake to be at a bowling club (as we knew the owner of the club).
I wouldn’t fancy holding an event there unless it was for someone I didn’t like much. I think the licence is just for members and their guests too.
OutInTheShed said:
I would be concerned.
If you've got a private members sports club, it's not unusual to have a bar.
From there, having events with loud live music is an easy progression.
Then comes hiring out the premises to members for parties etc.
Many sports clubs are struggling and looking for ways to boost income.
And attract younger members, and members who will bring income without necessarily having much to do with the sport.
You probably would not want to live next door to my Sailing Club.
If the building is not very substantial, even background music causes the sound level of conversation to go up, windows will be open half the year.
The other thing is, the club may be being taken over by parties who want to make it more commercial, or even sell/redevelop the premises etc.
This. ^^^^If you've got a private members sports club, it's not unusual to have a bar.
From there, having events with loud live music is an easy progression.
Then comes hiring out the premises to members for parties etc.
Many sports clubs are struggling and looking for ways to boost income.
And attract younger members, and members who will bring income without necessarily having much to do with the sport.
You probably would not want to live next door to my Sailing Club.
If the building is not very substantial, even background music causes the sound level of conversation to go up, windows will be open half the year.
The other thing is, the club may be being taken over by parties who want to make it more commercial, or even sell/redevelop the premises etc.
I run the clubhouse for my cricket club.
Cricket activity doesn`t cover the operating costs of the club. Not even close.
Private events are what keeps the club afloat.
Weddings, christenings,retirements, birthday parties, quiz nights, halloween parties, any excuse for a pissup parties .... we do them all and all year round.
This was yesterdays wedding reception at 1.30 this morning:
Drumroll said:
It has to be worth lodging an objection. if for no other reason if they do get a licence and you make complaints about noise etc. They can't say to you then why didn't you object at the time of the application.
Yeah, maybe. A quick bit of research shows that very few, if any, before the fact objections get anywhere and you have to wait until after the licence is granted to see what actually happens before you have any real chance of having your objections taken seriously. As you say though, if I object now I assume they have to address the objections and if they promise to be whisper quiet and are subsequently not, that’s a stick to beat them with further down the line.
GranpaB said:
Can you lodge a complaint about times or days etc? Not on weekdays?
On the flip side, i suppose they might be trying to find a way to keep the club funded to stay open and running.
I don’t think they have a problem with funding. The club has been there for almost 100 years apparently so it’s all long paid for. All the green work, maintenance etc seems to be done by the members themselves on a volunteer basis. The season that’s just finished was one of the busiest I have seen while I’ve been a neighbour, with some new, younger members joining.On the flip side, i suppose they might be trying to find a way to keep the club funded to stay open and running.
OutInTheShed said:
You may be able to ask for conditions/restrictions rather than just a flat 'objection'?
Possibly they only want a quiet drink after a game and they've just done the standard application that people would use for any pub or premises.
This is what I’m hoping for. I may just stick in a noise objection so they’re aware it’s not going to be carte blanche to tear the arse out of it.Possibly they only want a quiet drink after a game and they've just done the standard application that people would use for any pub or premises.
GranpaB said:
On the flip side, i suppose they might be trying to find a way to keep the club funded to stay open and running.
Silverage said:
My house is about 20 metres from their club house
It tends to attract people of a certain age, but they can sometimes get a bit noisy, shouting advice across the green to each other. The club was here for years before I bought my house so I knew what I was getting in to
By the sound of it the OP sounds like the club shutting down would be a bonus.It tends to attract people of a certain age, but they can sometimes get a bit noisy, shouting advice across the green to each other. The club was here for years before I bought my house so I knew what I was getting in to
Next thread 'How can i object to housing on the old bowls club'.
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