Row erupts as New Brighton bar gets licence extension

A “comment war” has broken out in a Merseyside seaside resort over a bar’s request to extend its opening hours as a mum complained she could smell marijuana outside.

Wirral mum Carla Fisher, who lives near Victoria Road in New Brighton, claimed to a Wirral Council licensing committee she had smelt it many times as she protested against Rockpoint Records being able to extend its opening hours. Responding to the claims, bar owner Dan Davies said some of his customers were legally prescribed cannabis by their doctor.

Rockpoint Leisure, the company behind the regeneration of Victoria Road in New Brighton, had asked Wirral Council to vary its licence for Rockpoint Records and extend its opening hours. It wanted to be able to stay open until 1.30am every day of the week and sell alcohol until 1am when it currently winds down at 11.30pm.

Mr Davies is often seen at the face of the regeneration of New Brighton after years of decline in the seaside resort but the licence application prompted a number of concerns to be brought forward by a few living in the area as well as Cllr Tony Jones around noise and antisocial behaviour. Neither Merseyside Police or any other authority made representations or raised concerns about the application and Rockpoint argued there was no evidence to back up the claims.

Presenting the application, Mr Davies said: “We want to be good neighbours. Seven years ago when I started this project, the road was looking very tired. 50 percent of the businesses were closed, the square footage was nearer 75%.”

He said the road was now fully occupied, adding: “I hated seeing the town where I grew up in was going and I decided to do something about it.” Mr Davies highlighted his extensive experience in licensing first working in the former Coasters venue over three decades ago, running a licensing training company, and chairing the Institute of Licensing and the National Licensing Forum.

Mr Davies said he wanted a diverse range of shops on Victoria Road on what was once the resort’s original high street and they weren’t looking for a race to the bottom. He said the extended opening hours wouldn’t be all the time but it would give them flexibility when things were busier such as when shows were on at the Floral Pavilion theatre.

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He told the committee the bar was a place for people who didn’t have anywhere else to go if they weren’t open with a good clientele, adding: “I want to make the whole area as safe and as positive as possible. What we are looking for here is about the sustainability of the business.”

Mr Davies said he didn’t want the seaside resort to be somewhere people just lived in but worked too, adding: “We have got to try and make New Brighton a better place, a safer place, a place you want to grow up and spend your time in.”

The bar highlighted rising utility bills and employment costs in recent years and stressed there had been no issues raised by the police or complaints from neighbours before the licensing application. Regarding complaints of vomiting and urination, they said the application had to be judged on its own merits and there were 15 other licenced venues in the area so it could not be pinned down to Rockpoint.

It was also pointed out the James Atherton pub and Perch Rock Hotel on the other side of the road can currently stay open late and Rockpoint had been the jumping off point for bands like The Mysterines.

In coming to their decision on May 7, councillors said they took on board Mr Davies’ history and experience in licensing as well as his work to regenerate New Brighton but also the complaints that had been made. They felt the management conditions they had put in place would address those concerns.

The panel allowed Rockpoint Records to sell alcohol until midnight and stay open until 12.30am with extended opening hours for New Years with alcohol sales until 2am and a closing time of 2.30am. No bottles could be emptied overnight, a number of policies needed to be put in place, and a minimum of one door supervisor on Fridays and Saturdays.

The council’s licensing department said the last time it received a complaint was one in November 2021 though there had also been complaints to Environmental Health previously. However after the application, complaints were made about a recent Easter weekend.

Christopher Mennie-Lewis said he had been kept awake into the early hours of the morning and had seen people drinking outside. He claimed he had videos and photographs to back up what he said but no evidence was provided to the committee.

He said people were hesitant to come forward to complain feeling they would be labelled as moaners and that a recent article by the LDRS had “started a bit of a comment war.” He said: “The view of some people is that we should just put up with it. That will scare people from coming forward in future as well.”

Mr Mennie-Lewis said he didn’t feel the area was suitable for families and there should be more variety when it came to businesses, adding: “I certainly wouldn’t want to raise a family in the area with that amount of bars on the streets.”

However he said he hadn’t raised complaints before because he accepted people have to deal with certain things living near a pub. He worried the longer opening hours would mean he wouldn’t be able to get enough sleep.

Rockpoint Records’ Arthur Smith said they had previously sent a message to Mr Mennie-Lewis after he raised noise issues telling him to keep in touch, that their door was open, and they would work together wherever possible. Mr Mennie-Lewis said he didn’t respond as he wasn’t sure how it would affect the licensing procedure but felt the bar’s response as dismissive.

Another member of the public Carla Fisher said the current situation was bad enough, telling the committee: “It’s not fair on people with children, those working shifts. We just want to live in our homes and not just dread weekends and worry about our children.”

She claims previous complaints had been brushed off, telling the committee: “It’s becoming unbearable. It’s already unbearable but if it’s extended, where does it stop? Is it going to keep getting extended?”

At one point, she said: “There were people sat outside smoking marijuana during the day. It’s definitely where people do go to smoke weed. That has happened many times. My children have said ‘what is that smell? It’s a funny smell.’”

Mr Davies was later criticised for his reaction to the comments. Cllr Andrew Hodson said Mr Davies was a professional man, adding: “It doesn’t help giggling away while we are trying to listen.” Ms Fisher later added: “We all speak about it. The smell. We have never passed any of the other bars and had that experience. It was Rockpoint.”

Councillors also heard a submission from another resident Simon Holbert who wasn’t able to attend. He argued there should have been more transparency about the application, again referencing the LDRS’ recent article.

He said: “Why should residents who are trying to protect the quality of life be put on the spot quite like this,” adding: “It’s all fun and games to some people but this is our lives.”

In his final response to the comments, Mr Davies said they had held late night events before and no one had objected arguing it was easy to criticise. He said he spoke to people every day and claimed thousands more supported the bar including those living directly above and next to it.

He said: “This is a high street. It was the first road to be built in New Brighton and half of it got taken away in the 90s,” adding: “The vast majority of the residents who live in and around the place support what we are doing and support the wider regeneration.”

Mr Davies said he would do anything he could to address concerns even offering to double glaze someone’s house. He said: “We have gotten blamed for things that aren’t anything to do with us but we want to be good neighbours.”

Following the decision, Mr Davies told councillors it was “unbelievable.” He told the LDRS he will appeal the decision.