A bar and restaurant in York city centre wants to open its roof terrace till 1am – but it faces opposition from police, the council and people living nearby.
Mehmet Simsek of the Trio Mezze Tapas Bar on Whip-ma-Whop-ma-Gate has applied to vary the venue’s licensing conditions.
It would see the bar extending alcohol sales from 11pm to 1am, and the roof terrace would be able to stay open till 1am, instead of closing at 9pm.
The bar also wants to operate a licensed outside seating area, again from 9am to 1am.
But this is being opposed by North Yorkshire Police.
“If this application is granted in the terms applied for, the premises could operate both a rooftop terrace and a street level licensed outside area for seven days a week from 0900hrs- 0100hrs, as well as the main restaurant with at least 45 covers inside,” a police response says.
“The impact of customers leaving after this time is likely to result in an increase in incidents and nuisance to those living close by.”
The police would support alcohol sales till midnight in the main bar, and the pavement area operating till 11pm. But it says the roof terrace should still close at 9pm.
Prevent sleep
Neighbours are also objecting. “I do not know if the licensing authority are aware that a number of upper floors of the Shambles are in residential use,” said the owner of properties on the street.
“The residents there have asked me, as the owner, to object to the licence extension on their behalf, stating that even at the present time their enjoyment of the property is being substantially disturbed and any further extension to 1am would be intolerable and prevent them from sleeping at night.”
They said such an extension might force the residents to move out, leaving the listed building empty “which has been in residential use since records began”.
Another neighbour described the request to open the rooftop terrace till 1am as ‘outrageous’.
“Unless you want a city where no one lives, I believe the council need to limit the opening times of outside spaces (as currently is the case for beer gardens around Stonegate for instance) and should be particularly strict with opening hours of roof terraces.”
Guildhall ward councillor Denise Craghill also objected, saying: “Residents in the area still deserve some controls over noise levels late at night.”
Public protection officers at City of York Council said: “The roof top terrace is overlooked directly by residential dwellings some which may include bedrooms and there is no way that noise from this area can be controlled to an adequate level later in the evening or and especially into night time periods and the early hours of the morning.”
The bar owners say that extra staff training and comprehensive CCTV coverage will be put in place.
They say: “This is NOT a bar where people stand up and serve themselves. The applicant does NOT want to alter the nature of the business and how it is run.
“It is a successful family run business that thrives upon the personal relationships formed between the applicant and his staff and the customers, many of whom are regulars.”
The application will be decided at a council licensing hearing on Thursday (16 September).