A games bar will come to York despite concerns from nearby residents.
Councillors have granted an alcohol licence to Roxy Ball Room, set to open in Stonebow House.
The chain combines games like pool, beer pong and bowling with beer and cocktails, and already has venues in Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester.
As YorkMix reported, the application attracted a significant number of objections from nearby residents.
And members of the public raised concerns at City of York Council’s licensing committee yesterday (Monday) about staff training, noise and bins being left out attracting pests.
In response, managing company Roxy Leisure’s representatives CEO Matt Jones and managing director Ben Warren, said they were responsible proprietors.
And a set of conditions were put in place in an attempt to ameliorate the impact of the bar.
Mr Jones said: “The occupant that operated before us was a nightclub. Nightclubs operate differently to how we do.
“They tend to fuel people with as much alcohol as possible.”
He added: “I can assure you we are much better operators and have run much better management teams.
“We care.”
Neighbours expressed concerns about drunk people in the area, sharing stories about antisocial behaviour, and feared it would add noise and disturbances.
Mr Warren said: “We frequent places for a reason,” adding: “Predominantly people come here to game [and not drink].”
‘A time and a place’
Julia Weston is a St Saviourgate resident speaking on behalf of 16 others who live on the street opposite Stonebow House.
“St Saviourgate was built in the early 1700s,” she said. “My house was built in 1730 and it’s Grade II* listed.
“It’s one notch down from Castle Howard.
“You’re not allowed to touch anything. You’re not allowed to put secondary glazing in, you can’t insulate anything, you literally cannot touch the fabric of the house.
“And what this means is that we have single glazed sash windows and any noise outside the house carries inside.
“So if a taxi pulls up outside our house and the driver is on the phone, we can hear the full extent of the conversation.”
[adrotate group=”3″]
Martina Weitsch, vice chair of York Green Party said: “We don’t want to come across as the anti-fun party.
“We think that having fun, having a party and enjoying life is important.
“But there is a time and a place for that and it has to consider the impact it has on the people who live in the vicinity.”
“Roxy Leisure markets itself as ‘bringing the playground to the bar’ and as ‘being the home of booze and balls’.”
She added: “The strapline projects a drinking culture, in my view, and it has a little bit of an aggressive undertone I think.
“I don’t think the double meaning of balls in the strapline is entirely accidental.”
The application was approved with conditions including a 400-person maximum capacity, bottle and glass collecting only between 8am and 8pm and to circulate the details of the duty manager and area manager to nearby residents every six months.
Roxy Leisure was asked to keep up its level of engagement with residents.