A Merthyr Tydfil venue wants to be able to show films and host plays, dance performances and indoor sporting events. An application has been made for a new premises licence for Clwb Crown in Webster House on Dynevor Street.
International Crown Events Ltd has made the application which is due to be considered by the council’s statutory licensing committee on Thursday, September 1. The application said it is for an arts centre with live music, events, a conference centre, a wine bar, tapas, a bistro and a community hub.
It proposes that it be allowed to show films, have indoor sporting events, host plays and have boxing or wrestling entertainment. It is also applying to be able to play live and recorded music, hold dance performances, provide late night refreshment and sell alcohol.
But there has been an objection from the council’s environmental health department who said that the application does not promote the licensing objective of “prevention of public nuisance.” They highlight the application for non-standard timings of an additional hour on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and Sundays preceding bank holidays.
They also point to the fact that the application includes significant external areas with little information on how noise will be controlled and that there are residential areas in close proximity to the premises which are likely to be impacted by noise if the application is approved. South Wales Police have also given their views on the application.
They point out that it is located in the vicinity of two other licensed premises, these being Kooler and Celtic Bar. They said there are residential properties a short distance away with some of these being occupied by elderly residents.
They also say that adjacent to the premises is a medical surgery and pharmacy where potentially vulnerable people attend on a regular basis, along with a college where a large percentage of students are under 18 years of age and attend to lectures there starting at 9am. They said that while South Wales Police predominantly comment on the licensing objective of preventing crime and disorder, other licensing objectives overlap here such as the prevention of public nuisance and protection of children where loud music and dance in an outdoor area could cause disorder, and/or expose young people to alcohol on a regular basis.
The licensing department arranged for a mediation meeting to take place with all parties on August 9 and after this the applicant, the environmental health department and the police all provided amended proposed hours.
Applicant’s new proposals
The applicant’s amended plans include the performance of plays, films, boxing or wrestling, recorded music and live music from 9am to 10pm outdoors, late night refreshment outdoors from 11pm to midnight and the supply of alcohol outdoors from 10am to 11pm. The original proposal had been for films, indoor sporting events, plays and boxing and wrestling entertainment all indoors and outdoors to be allowed from 9am to midnight.
The amended proposals are for recorded music indoors to be licensed from 9am to 1am on Monday to Thursday, 9am to 2am on Friday and Saturday and 9am to 12.30am on Sunday. The original proposal included indoors and outdoors live music and dance performances being allowed from 9am to 1am with a seasonal variation.
The new proposals include the performance of plays, films, boxing or wrestling and indoor sporting events indoors being licensed from 9am to midnight and live music indoors from 9am to 1am. The original proposal had asked for indoor and outdoor recorded music to be allowed from 9am to 2am and late night refreshments indoors and outdoors to be allowed between 11pm and 2am with seasonal variations.
The latest proposals include the supply of alcohol indoors being allowed from 10am to 1am from Monday to Thursday, 10am to 2am on Friday and Saturday and from 10am to 1.30am on Sunday. The original proposals included the supply of alcohol on and off the premises being allowed from 7am to 2am and the opening hours being from 6am to 2.30am both with seasons variations.
The amended proposals would include one hour extra on Sundays before bank holidays, on Christmas Eve, on Boxing Day, on New Year’s Eve and on New Year’s Day.
What the police are suggesting
The police’s recommendations following the mediation meeting include the performance of plays, films, boxing or wrestling, recorded music and live music outdoors to be limited to 9am to 9pm. Late night refreshment would be from 11pm to midnight and the outdoor supply of alcohol would be allowed in outdoor area A from 10am to 11pm and until 10pm in outdoor area B.
Recorded music indoors could be played from 8am to 1am from Monday to Thursday, until 2am on Friday and Saturday and until 12.30am on Sunday. Performance of plays, films, boxing or wrestling and indoor sporting events indoors would be licensed from 9am to midnight, live music indoors from 9am to 1am and the supply of alcohol indoors from 10am to 1am from Monday to Thursday, until 2am on Friday and Saturday and until 1am on Sunday.
All of the above will include one hour extra on Sundays before bank holidays, on Christmas Eve, on Boxing Day, on New Year’s Eve and on New Year’s Day.
What environmental health want to see
Environmental health’s suggested times include the performance of plays, films, boxing or wrestling, recorded music and live music outdoors from 9am to 8pm from Sunday to Thursday and from 9am to 9pm on Friday and Saturday. It objects to plans for late night refreshments outdoors and suggests times for the supply of alcohol outdoors of 10am to 11pm in outdoor area A and 10am to 10pm in outdoor area B.
For recorded music indoors, it suggested 9am to 1am from Monday to Thursday, until 2am on Friday and Saturday and until 12.30am on Sunday. For the indoor performance of plays, films, boxing or wrestling and indoor sporting events it suggests 9am to midnight.
For live music indoors it suggests 9am to 1am and for the supply of alcohol indoors it recommends 10am to 1am from Monday to Thursday, 10am to 2am on Friday and Saturday and from 10am to 1am on Sunday. All of the above will include one hour extra on Sundays before bank holidays, on Christmas Eve, on Boxing Day, on New Year’s Eve and on New Year’s Day
Conditions around CCTV, door staff, an incident log, signs, the challenge 25 scheme and minimising noise are being proposed.
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