Residents will no doubt be aware that the Rose and Crown has been closed for almost a year, awaiting a major £500k refurbishment; the aim being to be more of a gastropub, appealing to a wider audience. The current operators have done a good job of communications and supporting local initiatives during Covid19 times and the majority of people seem very positive about the future of the site; being relieved no attempts are being made for residential development there.
However, the inescapable fact is that the Rose and Crown is surrounded by residential properties. In the light of this, their application for a license to serve at weekends until 1:00am (closing at 1:30am) needs to be looked at very seriously and the following questions asked:
- How does the parking provision available in the Rose and Crown car park tie up with the number of customers anticipated? There is no spare parking in the village at night, so further increases in cars looking for street parking could cause congestion. There is no public transport available to diners/revellers late in the evening.
- Will due consideration be given to the right to sleep of the residents of the houses nearby and in Mill Lane opposite, down which people would walk if Rose and Crown customers were to use the Civic Centre as an overflow car park? People exiting the premises at 1:30am, chatting loudly, could cause disturbance and nuisance in a small village where sound travels widely at night, especially in the summer.
- As the intention is also to use the newly refurbished barn for events such as weddings or large parties, what provision would be made for adequate on-site parking, and noise limitation?
- Will this application, if granted, set a precedent? It would be difficult to refuse the other establishments in the village from requesting the same late hours.
- Do residents agree that midnight closing on Friday and Saturday, not later, and normal trading hours for the rest of the week would be reasonable?
There is no doubt that there is a careful balance to be struck here with supporting commercial activity in our village and protecting the rights of those living in the adjacent area that will be affected.
As the Notices regarding the Licensing Application have been displayed outside the premises during the Christmas period, and during our Tier 4 restrictions, it is possible that many residents may not have seen them.
Residents wishing to comment on the application, should write direct to WHBC:
– There is a 28-day consultation, which ends on the 19th of January 2021. All responsible agencies, (i.e. police, environmental health, fire and rescue, etc.), have been notified so that they can consider the application.
– Anyone can submit a representation. To be valid, this must be in relation to one or more of the Licensing Objectives. These are: Preventing Crime and Disorder, Public Nuisance, Public Safety and Protecting Children from Harm. The person making the representation should state why he/she feels that any of these objectives would be undermined by this application.
– The representation must be submitted by 19th January. It can be in the form of an email to > for the attention of James Moatt (Licensing Technical Officer). The representation must be signed, which can be done electronically, and the person making the representation must provide their name and address.
– If a representation is submitted then the application is halted pending a licensing hearing with WHBC’s Licensing Committee who will determine the application i.e. grant/grant with conditions/refuse.
– On receiving a representation the licensing officer must inform the applicant who is entitled to be given the details of the representation and the name and address of the person submitting it (unless there is good reason for not doing so).
– The licensing officer can facilitate communication between the person making the representation and the applicant so that any issues can be discussed and potentially resolved. If issues are resolved and the representation is withdrawn then the application can continue without a hearing unless of course other representations are submitted and not resolved. If the representation is not withdrawn then the application will go to a hearing. The hearing must take place within 28 days after the 19th of January 2021.
Sandra Saunders
Chairman
Welwyn Planning & Amenity Group