A New Brighton pub can now sell alcohol and play music until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays despite concerns it could keep residents up at night.
The Perch Rock, on Grosvenor Road, had asked the council to extend its licence by two hours.
The application was made for financial reasons, representatives of the Craft Union Pub company which owns Perch Rock told the committee.
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A decision came after a tense Wirral Council meeting where applicants were criticised by councillors for not answering why they wanted to extend the opening hours.
Chair of the Licensing Panel, Councillor Andrew Hodson, said: “Coming to the decision members gave consideration to the submissions made by the applicants’ legal representative, in particular there was no intention to change the demographic of customers.”
Cllr Hodson said that the licence could be reviewed if any problems arose due to the extension.
The 110-capacity pub will be able to stay open to 3.30am on the condition the pub has CCTV, a refusal register, and satisfies other requests by the police.
The panel also imposed extra conditions that no drinks were allowed outside after 9pm and the area cleared, noise was monitored, and door staff were employed until 4am or all customers had left the vicinity of the pub.
The company told the licensing panel the pub's customer base, largely over 35, would not change with the extended hours and that measures such as door staff and notices telling customers to be quiet were in place.
A tense exchange occurred between Councillor David Burgess-Joyce and solicitor for Craft Union, Alex Green.
Cllr Burgess-Joyce said Craft Union was not answering his question about why they wanted the extension. At one point, Cllr Hodson intervened to ask the applicants to answer the question.
Cllr Burgess-Joyce asked: “Please tell me what the stats look like where you think its viable to start paying staff another two hours salary at least in a residential area. I am genuinely curious. I’m not trying to catch you out.”
Matt Case-Upton, regional manager for Craft Union, began to answer, saying the company had “looked at the situation” before Cllr Burgess-Joyce interrupted: “What is the data? What is the rationale?”
Mr Case-Upton answered saying, “it was the amount of footfall in that area” to which Cllr Hodson asked whether they were hoping “to mop up customers from other pubs.”
Mr Case-Upton, defended the company, saying we are “a community brand. We put the heart of the community into our pubs" and added "we also do a lot for charity.
One resident who lives nearby, David Kelly, spoke at the meeting objecting to the opening hours being extended. He accused the pub of being noisy until late at night with customers shouting as they left, and said smashed glass could be found outside the pub the morning after.
Mr Kelly said “I have lived [on Grosvenor Road] for 20 years. It wasn’t too bad at first but as time has gone on they have started drinking outside.”
He said he had seen people drinking outside the premises until one in the morning and that broken glass was an issue. “If you are taking a drink outside, you should take it out in glass containers.” He added, “glass could also be used as a weapon.”
Alex Green, the solicitor for Craft Union, said they had approached the police before making the application and “the police were happy” with the proposal.
No representations were made by the police, the council, public or environmental health at the meeting or in previous reports.
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