Football superstar Gareth Bale faces 80 residents, the police, environmental health and a ward councillor at a Bristol licensing hearing next week over plans to open a golf-themed bar. The Wales captain’s business venture has applied for a premises licence for Par 59, next to Lane7 in Harbourside, but neighbours have flooded the city council with objections.
A sub-committee of three councillors will be held at City Hall at 10am on Thursday, April 21, to decide whether to grant or refuse the new venue, which is seeking to serve alcohol until 1am from Thursday to Saturday and 12am on other nights, closing half an hour later. A report to the licensing panel says the premises in Millennium Promenade, set to open 10am daily, are within the city centre cumulative impact area (CIA) where the number of licensed premises are at “saturation point”.
It says the policy is in place because the area “witnesses a high number of assaults and other related crime and disorder including public nuisance and risk to public safety”. This means that if members consider the application triggers the CIA – which often depends on the hours sought and the activities requiring a licence – the applicants would have to demonstrate why an exception should be made and permission granted.
