Clarification regarding JD Wetherspoon

ON 10 January 2018 we published an article concerning the decision of Belfast County Court to refuse an application by JD Wetherspoon for a provisional grant of licence for premises at 58 – 66 Royal Avenue.

In error, this article stated JD Wetherspoon had been expected to use a licence from another of its premises outside Belfast, and alterations made to that premises had invalidated a renewal of that licence.

We are happy to clarify JD Wetherspoon did not expect to, or use, a licence from another of its premises, and did not make any alterations to any such premises.

JD Wetherspoon intended to surrender, in good faith, a third party’s existing licence, but the Court heard evidence that, unknown to JD Wetherspoon, the third party had previously made alterations to its premises without the required court approval.

The Court therefore ruled the third party’s licence was invalid, resulting in the refusal of JD Wetherspoon’s application on this occasion.