A Kirkby pub which shut down following a “legal technicality” could cause “increased crime and disorder” if allowed to reopen according to Merseyside Police.
The Mainbrace on Whitefield Drive in Kirkby closed after the company which held the licence to operate it fell into insolvency.
According to documents submitted to Knowsley Council, landlord Thomas Albert Owens had not realised the insolvency of his business earlier this year would leave his pub without a licence.
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However, when TAO Supplies Limited went bust, the long running Kirkby pub was no longer allowed to reopen.
Mr Owens then applied to Knowsley Council for a new licence to enable him to reopen the venue, selling alcohol from 10am to midnight, Monday to Saturday and 11am to 11.30pm on a Sunday.
Some seasonal variations in opening hours, for Christmas, New Year and bank holidays were also requested as part of the application.
The application states: “The applicant, Mr T Owens, has been running the Mainbrace for a number of years and he has the necessary knowledge and experience to ensure that the promotion of the licensing objectives.
“Mr Owens is a responsible person and the holder of a personal licence. He is fully committed to his business and ensuring that the licensing objectives are promoted” adding that the premises had not been the subject of any licensing review or sanctioned for any offences taking place at the premises such as underage sales.
Environmental health and Merseyside Police were both consulted by Knowsley Council about the licensing application.
While environmental health raised no objections, following negotiations over seasonal variations and the prevention of noise nuisance, Merseyside Police had a number of issues with the application.
According to a council report: “The Police feel that the granting of this licence would lead to increased crime and disorder, citing a number of concerns taking place while the premises ran under the previous licence and one since the licence had lapsed.”
A number of incidents have been disclosed to Knowsley Council in an appendix report, which has not been made available to the public on data protection grounds.
The report states that the police has also submitted a video of incidents which have taken place at the premises, with Merseyside Police’s head of licensing Craig Carmichael planning to be in attendance to “make representations” at the licensing meeting.
There were two letters sent to the council in support of the application, one from a project manager at Centre 63 and another from the club secretary of the Mainbrace football team, which made reference to work done by the landlord to support local residents and the role of the pub as a “hub for the community.”
A petition has also been set up which has been signed by over 370 people. That petition, which has been shared on social media, calls on people to show their support to “reopen the Mainbrace before Christmas.”
The petition states: “At the moment, the Police and the licensing are reluctant to allowing us to open due to no fault of our own. Your help would show them how many of you love and enjoy socialising at our establishment.
“No doubt the staff and customers miss it, so show your support for your local business and sign the petition to reopen the Mainbrace before Christmas, the best time of the year!”
The petition continues: “The pandemic hit us hard, like many other local businesses around Kirkby, but we finally got back on our feet. But now, especially with Christmas approaching, it has been unimaginably hard on us. This can be one of the loneliest times of the year, and our pub provides a space where everyone gets along, young and old.”
Whether the Kirkby pub will indeed open before Christmas or not will depend on the decisions made at Huyton Municipal buildings this Thursday, December 15, when Knowsley’s licensing sub-committee meets to discuss whether or not to grant the Mainbrace a license to reopen.
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