BG MAX License news from Monica Whyte 20th Dec 2012

[Crouchendfriend]

Dear All

I'm just back from the Licensing Meeting!

Unfortunately it was not a great result - they still have their licence.  However there are a number of conditions attached.

• There is a slight reduction in the hours they can serve alcohol.  On Friday and Saturday nights they are only allowed to sell alcohol until 1.45am.
• They have to have CCTV in the premises as specified by the police.
• After 10pm all alcohol to be served in plastic/toughened plastic glasses.  No alcohol to be served in bottles.
• The fire door to be alarmed.
• 3 industry approved security persons to be on the premises on a Friday evening and four (one of whom must be a woman) to be working on a Saturday night.
• Everyone entering the premises to e searched with a metal wand.  Refusal means no admission.
• Music to stop 30 minutes before closing time.
• There is to be supervisions of the dispersal from the premises.  Signage is to be in English and Bulgarian that patrons are to leave the premises quietly.
• No more than 5 people allowed to be smoking outside the building at one time.  Alcohol is not allowed to be taken outside.

The panel took into account that there had been no logged incidents since August 2012 and that they had taken on board many of the police recommendations.

While understandable, it did end up being a bit of a handicap not having a resident there to speak personally of their experiences.  

I'm pretty sure that this is not the result you were all hoping for.  However, the conditions set may mean that you do see a difference.      If things do not change it does not mean that we cannot call in the licence for review again.  It is important that if you do experience any noise disturbance or any other unpleasant experiences from this club, that you call the enforcement team, you call the police and you keep a record yourself.  Please do let me know as well if there are any issues.

I will send out a full copy of the findings once I have them (the above are from my own notes so are not word perfect).

I hope you all have a happy and peaceful Christmas and please do not hesitate to contact me if other issues arise.

All the best

Monica

 

[JC]

What a an amazing decision.

What kind of place is this?

A war zone? The committee got it all wrong. 

Sending the wrong message entirely.

This licence should have been revoked.

Truly amazing and incompetent.

JC Lanoe

[Crouchendfriend]

I couldn't agree more, a pathetic decision.  I'm not sure what more we could have done to prove the inappropriateness of this establishment.  Haringey incompetence strikes again!

[HappyinCrouchy]

It's a farce. Yet again locals are ignored in favour of incompetent management. This is only the first battle in a longer war and we all need to be extra vigilant. Please everyone keep complaining from fly tipping to noise to any breach of the above stipulations. The end game is to get this place shut down for good so let's ensure we stick together and complain about everything. They have dumped a sofa again fly tipping. They are on a short leash so we must do everything possible to prevent this place from ruining out Neighbourhood. This is OUR area. Thanks to Monica for representing us and doing a great job. Whilst there are people like her on our side we'll win eventually. Look out over Christmas and NYE for any breaches of the above rules and EVERYONE KEEP COMPLAINING.

[OpinioN8 Administrator]

From Twitter

jclanoe: @OpinionN8 This is an abomination! Alcohol in plastic glass. Everyone searched with metal wand#notcrouchend #awful @haringeycouncil5:43pm, Dec 21 from Web

[Miki Lentin]

Not that surprising a decision despite its outrageousness!  I have been to Haringey's licensing committee meeting re Earl Haig Hall and can only call it a sham.  The committee head is incredibly rude, especially to residents and they have very little sympathy for anything in Crouch End, which they see as a peaceful area in comparison to the war zones of Tottenham and Wood Green!  They also only do things by the letter of the law - an obnoxious lawyer is always present and they fail to see the bigger picture most of the time.  And of course they are scared of doing anything that they think will impact business or the local economy.  But we must fight on - my experiences only made me feel more strongly about fighting the licensing committee and their absurdity!

[Eugene]

Wood Green is a war zone? Really?  Outrageousness...

[Adrian Essex]

I completely agree with JC about the wrong message. Who is it wants to go to a pub with multiple bouncers and airport security measures. You don't have to get frisked by security to get into the 3 Compasses on Hornsey High Street. Its as though the licensing committee is giving the BG clientèle license to be undesirable Obviously any sane Crouch Ender will boycott the place.

And CCTV has always seemed to me to be a joke. I think the quality of the pictures is improving so that , after the event, it might be possible to identify miscreants, but how many inebriates stop to wonder about the consequences of their actions. The licensing conditions relate to the "prevention of crime" not for its digital recording so it can be posted on youtube later.

Monica is to be congratulated for sticking with this problem  and having the determination actually to attend the meeting. I know why I did not attend the meeting - I live just far enough away not to be directly affected. It would have been nice for our councillor to be backed up.

And apart from the conditions listed here there are still the usual obligations on a landlord, not to let those who are already drunk into his pub, and not to serve those who become incapable whilst present on his premises. 

Perhaps the licensing committee is only interpreting the law as it is written. I do know of cases in Haringey where a license has been withdrawn

[JC]

"Who is it wants to go to a pub with multiple bouncers and airport security measures. You don't have to get frisked by security to get into the 3 Compasses on Hornsey High Street. Its as though the licensing committee is giving the BG clientèle license to be undesirable Obviously any sane Crouch Ender will boycott the place."

TOTALLY.

I am a Crouchender through and through (by adoption since I am French). I know of no-one who lives here who goes (or will go) to this venue. So the committee in effect acts without any consideration whatsoever for people of the area.

Kiss the Sky, The Kings Head, The Queens and others are very well run, attended by locals and hardly ever is there a problem.

Indeed, I would never go to a place where it is natural to be search, and/or be served alcohol in plastic on the premise that it makes the place "safer". Crouchenders are mostly peaceful people who know how to behave. I should know I live next to Kiss the Sky. We say no to such measures.

It is utterly wrong to have allowed this. If anything licensing time should be in line with either other bars, one o'clock am or pubs midnight.

I reckon a solid local petition would gather something in the region of 5000 signatories pretty quickly with the hope to make the committee reconsider, or at the very least, only allow the licence to run until 1.00 am no later.

To be continued.

Best

JC

[HappyinCrouchy]

Hear Hear JC

I would be happy to put something like this together with any other like minded Crouchenders. Reading all of the resident's views, it is clear that there are a lot of people feeling the same way about this.

I think we should call a further meeting to discuss next steps and get a petition going.

Anybody else feel the same way?

[Miki Lentin]

Please count me in!

[Adrian Essex]

Completely agree that a meeting is a good idea. This will provide a focus for any further action. Discussion of next steps is also a good idea - if possible with a positive outlook working on the assumption that this can become a attractive venue if handled properly. I'm not sure a petition carries any weight with the licensing authority but documented breaches of the conditions will. 

Is there a Neighbourhood Watch for the that area. I know that there was a recent meeting about aFairfield Road Neighbourhood Watch, though I don't know the outcome. [e-mail] seesm to be the contact for this sort of thing. I will email her.

[Adrian Essex]

Pauline is off until Jan 7th. Does anyone have another contact? We could also look at changing the focus of the Safer Neighbourhood Team Priorities  (Crouch End and Hornsey)  to cover the bar specifically.