Belushi

Application for later licence backfires....

Westminster City Council has refused an extension of hours of the Music & Dancing Licence for Belushi's Bar in Russell Street, Covent Garden.

Councillors on the Licensing Sub-committee on 14th January refused an application to extend the opening hours on Thursday, Friday & Saturday. The bar already has a Music & Dancing licence until midnight and had applied for an extension until 2am. This resulted in a number of strong objections from nearby residents and from the CGCA. Even after Belushi's amended their application until 1am rather than 2am, residents continued to object. Last Thursday, Westminster found in their favour.

Three residents living adjacent to Belushi's, together with a CGCA representative, gave compelling evidence and cross-examined the chairman, operations director and manager of the company that operates Belushi's. John Bos, the CGCA co-ordinator, told councillors that the experiment in 1994, which resulted in the licence until midnight being issued, had been a great mistake. At the time, residents, the Police and the CGCA withdrew their objections in return for undertakings from the managing director of the company. What was intended to become an example for other premises in the area failed to 'work' for residents, as the extra opening hour soon resulted in more noise and disturbance until the early hours of the morning. The undertakings from Belushi's were not honoured.

Complaints from residents at the hearing included:
• loud bass beat of the music penetrating into living rooms and bedrooms
• excessive noise from large groups of people drinking outside on the pavement, under residents' windows, often until after midnight
• intimidating behaviour from drinkers blocking the pavement and residents' doorways
• rowdy and anti-social behaviour of patrons when leaving the bar at closing time
• vomit, urine and broken glass in the doorways and on the pavements in the immediate vicinity
• noise from air-conditioning condensing units installed (without planning permission) at the rear of the bar, less than a meter away from residents' bedroom windows
• bright flood lights (installed without permission) on the façade of the premises, delaying the dispersal of patrons after closing time.

After more than 5 hours of evidence and cross-examination, the councillors retired to consider their verdict. They took almost 70 minutes to reach their decision. They refused the extension of hours on the following grounds:
• these premises are different from others - they are sandwiched in between 2 blocks of residential accommodation, where residents are directly affected by noise and disturbance from Belushi's
• the age and nature of these buildings (built around the 1770's) exacerbate any problems of noise disturbance from within the premises
• local residents have experienced noise and disturbance from Belushi's over a considerable period of time, despite noise insulation works that have been carried out in Belushi's
• residents continue to suffer from noise caused by people drinking and talking outside under residents' windows and from air-conditioning equipment.

The councillors stated that they had carefully considered this application and had balanced the commercial interests of the applicant and the right of local residents to peaceful enjoyment of their property. They were mindful of the fact that Russell Street is located in the 'West End Stress Area', where the amenity of residents is already under pressure from the entertainment industry. They specifically asked that any planning matters relating to the installation of the air-conditioning condensing units should be resolved.

The CGCA welcomes Westminster's decision as it recognises the need for residents to be able to live in relative peace and quiet, even in Covent Garden. Just because other premises have a late licence until 2 or 3am, it does not automatically follow that any bar or public house in Covent Garden is suitable for a Music & Dancing licence or an extension of hours. It is essential that each licence application is considered on its own merits.

What's the fuss all about? Have a look at Belushi's Web site www.interpub.co.uk/brothers/main.htm and at some photographs of the crowds outside Belushi's on a summer evening

Think it looks like a good night out?

Consider then this view from a local resident's home...

See the article by Martin Newman from the West End Extra plan to allow bar backfired. Read also about other recent CGCA licensing victories: All Bar One, The Langley, Detroit Bar.

If you are interested in the pros and cons of later licensing hours for pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants, please read the Good Night Out report published recently by the Central Westminster Police Community Consultative Group.

© Covent Garden Community Association, January 1999

 

 

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