Relaunched pub will not be noisy nightclub, promises landlord in music bid
THE new landlord of a Lymington pub has reassured the public he is “not at all interested” in creating a nightclub there following objections to his music licence bid by police and residents.
The Queen Street premises, formerly the Fusion Inn, has been closed for three years, but is now set to open as The Sail Inn, and owners Star Pubs and Bars Ltd want restrictions on the entertainment licence lifted so recorded music and live bands would be allowed daily from 10am.
But residents living near the site reacted furiously to the application at New Forest District Council’s licensing sub-committee meeting, with some saying the site will be a “magnet” for late-night drinking, drug-taking and anti-social behaviour.
Hampshire police are also objecting, saying the pub would “default to being the end-of-destination venue” for customers, thereby causing noise nuisance.
Officers say disturbance would be caused by revellers being refused entry due to being drunk, customers being “ejected” and refusing to leave, and drinkers using the smoking area and leaving the pub at the end of the night.
Responding to these fears, new landlord Paul Smith promised opponents the pub would only attract “families, young professionals and well-behaved locals”.
He told the committee: “At my age, I’m not going to be up until 2am - I’m not into the late night party stuff; I’ve done all that.”
Mr Smith agreed Lymington did have a problem with late-night drinkers, but reassured neighbours he would not be offering cheap alcohol that may encourage troublemakers.
“I don’t want to be the last pub open,” he said. “We are a community pub and we don’t want to be part of that at all.”
Residents have concerns that if the venue is granted a music licence, it will become a “noisy nightclub” at weekends.
Presently, live music is only allowed twice a week, and recorded music every other Saturday. Star Pubs and Bars Ltd want permission to play music between 10am and 11pm Sunday to Thursday, and 10am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
It is not, however, seeking any changes to the current drinks licence, which allows the serving of alcohol until midnight Sunday to Thursday and 2am Fridays and Saturdays.
Next-door neighbour Robert Lee, who has lived in his home for around 45 years, explained that around 20 years ago what was then The Old Gentleman pub built an extension which meant the two premises are now attached.
He said an acoustic wall which was promised by developers to lessen noise was never built, and he now hears “absolutely everything, from people talking to music playing” from within his home.
“My brick wall is nine inches wide, so noise from the pub goes straight through my house,” he said. “It has been a huge problem that has never been addressed.
“You have spent £388,000 on The Sail Inn but totally ignored my concerns. When the pub is re-opened we will be back to a no sleep situation again.
“I will no longer be able to have my grandchildren down. People are already saying on social media: ‘Let’s get back to the Black Cat days’. It is going to be a prime target area for out-of-hours drinking and drug-taking.”
The pub, which was the subject of numerous complaints over noise disturbance, anti-social behaviour and criminal activity when it operated as The Black Cat and The Fusion Inn, currently has a licence to open until 2am. But Mr Smith said he intended to shut at 11pm Sunday to Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Resident Julia Armstrong said while she was reassured by this, the potential to operate until 2am was still there.
She believed the pub would become a “prime magnet” for anti-social behaviour, saying: “I live in Roundhouse Court and the noise from the pub when it was open was terrible.”
Graham Broomfield, who runs a B&B near the pub, said his guests had been woken up by late night revellers in the past.
“It has been a pleasure while the pub has been closed,” he said. “I am not sure if The Sail Inn is going to be family orientated or aimed at youngsters who are on the razzle getting drunk, causing a lot of disturbance in the street.
“I didn’t hear anything from these people about how they are going to control that. When the Fusion Inn was open, guest reviews were full of people disturbed late at night by pub revellers.”
Neighbour Mike Fenner also expressed concern over the type of clientele it would attract.
“I would love The Sail Inn to be a nice pub which was aimed at families,” he said. “But there is the Black Cat element who are disruptive, not respectful, and who will migrate to the pub because of the late opening hours.
“I am extremely concerned that we will end up with the sort of problems we previously encountered.”
Nearby resident Gordon Carter said he was equally worried, adding: “I live immediately behind the pub, and the whole back area is residential with six elderly widows living alone and elderly couples.
“When it was open St Thomas Park was used as a short cut from the high street late at night by customers and for drug dealing.”
Responding, Mr Smith said: “I want it to be part of the community, I want it to be somewhere people who have enjoyed a meal in the town can come and have a brandy, or a coffee and chill out for an hour.”
He also said he did not anticipate any trouble dispersing drinkers from the pub. “I had a pub for 12 years at Weymouth seafront, which had a 24-hour licence, but at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays I was the last person in there.
“People just dispersed casually - they didn’t have to be told to leave.”
Mr Smith will be living at the pub with his wife, who he will be managing it with him. “I don’t want loud noise going on until the early hours,” he said.
Star Pubs and Bars Ltd also want a film licence so sporting and other programmes can be shown at the premises from 8am to 12.30am from Sunday to Thursday and 10am to midnight Friday and Saturday.
Its solicitor George Domleo said the “concept” for The Sail Inn was “completely different to how the Fusion Inn was operated”.
He said £388,000 had been spent on refurbishing the pub and the idea was to “create a great British pub” which would offer breakfast, lunch and dinner and be family friendly.
“Mr Smith has 30 years’ experience and will be an asset to Lymington,” said Mr Domleo. “He will be living on site, and he doesn’t want music blaring out disturbing people living nearby.
“It won’t be AC/DC during the day; it will be background music and sometimes at night there will be a jazz band, or a singer or DJ. I appreciate how the previous people used to operate the pub, but this is a completely different concept.”
“You are not going to be sitting there eating boeuf bourguignon with AC/DC blaring out.”
The owners promise that staff will regularly monitor boundaries to see how loud the noise is, and doors and windows will kept shut.
There will also be notices at exits reminding people to be quiet as they leave, and doormen who will be employed at weekends.
No new customers will be allowed entry to the pub after midnight and they will not be allowed outside after 11pm except if they are smoking. No drinks will be allowed outside after this time.
Sharon Conway, licensing officer for Hampshire police, said officers had concerns about what she called the “high risk period” from 11pm to 2am.
She said the force wanted the conditions to remain in place.
Mr Domleo said the late-night licence which presently allows the pub to serve alcohol until 2am would only be used for “special events.”
After a full morning’s hearing, the licensing sub-committee announced it would be retiring to consider the application with the aim of giving their determination within five days.
