Pub’s extended opening plans face opposition
AN 11-YEAR-OLD golf prodigy has become an international champion after winning a competition.
Owen Williams, from Penarth, has been awarded the title of Star of the Future after blowing away the competition with a ninehole round of three under par.
A pupil at Westbourne School, Owen secured a victory at the national final of the American Golf Junior Championships at Gainsborough Golf Club.
Now in its fourth year, the competition will be shown on Sky Sports in October.
Speaking after his three-shot win against Houldsworth’s Alfie Arnold, Owen, from Glamorgan Golf Club, said: “I played quite well but my first two holes weren’t good at all. But by the third I started to pick up and played some decent golf. Then I made an eagle on number four after I topped it off the tee.
“I stuck my second to about three feet and holed the putt.
“The American Golf event makes you feel like a professional golfer because Sky Sports film you for TV. It’s pretty cool. It’s felt amazing and I’ll definitely be back next year.”
The annual championship marks an important part of American Golf’s campaign to get people out playing golf regularly.
Matt Bacon, head of events at American Golf said: “This year’s championship has been an amazing event and the golf on display has been of the highest quality. It’s so satisfying to see new faces alongside young golfers who have returned to qualifiers year after year.
“For American Golf and PING to have been such an important part in the progression of so many young golfers makes me incredibly proud.
“To make it through to the final from hundreds of entrants from all over the UK and Ireland is a fantastic achievement and every one of the participants today has been a credit to themselves, their golf club and their family.”
John Clark, managing director of tournament sponsor PING Europe, added: “It’s always a highlight of the year to welcome the finalists of the American Golf Junior Championship to our home at Gainsborough Golf Club and this year has provided us with the best championship golfing quality we’ve seen to date.” PLANS to let a South Wales pub play music and sell alcohol for longer on weekends have been met by strong objections from neighbours because of concerns over noise and antisocial behaviour.
The Vulcan Inn on High Street, Merthyr Tydfil, wants to keep selling alcohol and playing music until 1.15am and keep the ground floor and first floor open until 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The owners also want to include bank holiday Sundays as part of the licence.
But Merthyr Tydfil council has received five letters of objection to the proposed extension of hours based on concerns which include people fighting and shouting in the street as they leave the premises.
The Vulcan currently stops playing live music at 11.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and recorded music at 12.30am with the sale of alcohol ending at 1am.
The owners of the nearby Imperial Hotel say they know too well the problems that come with late-night trading including singing, shouting, arguing and banging on takeaway windows and say they have no option but to object.
In their letter to the council’s licensing department, they say: “We already have with the current various licensed premises and their hours in place during the week (Thursday night) and at weekends, levels of noise from drunkeness and anti-social behaviour well above what should be tolerated until early hours of the morning on the High Street.”
They say the problem is affecting their business as guests complain about being disturbed by the the behaviour of people when walking past The Vulcan.
The letter asks: “With the work and initiative by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and the regenerating of Pontmorlais to make the area a nicer place do we really need a night club with later hours in this area, compromising the effort of everyone?”
Another objector, Jamie Crimmings, said: “There are regular fights breaking out onto the streets which sometimes carry on near our house and for my children to witness them from their bedroom window is not good.
“We are sometimes scared for our safety.”
Fellow objector Sandra Ward said she belives the extension of hours would not promote the licensing aims of preventing public nuisance or prevention of crime and disorder.
She says she has not got confidence in the club’s management and that customers are often seen staggering out and then vomiting or urinating outside shops and houses.
But as part of amendments to the licence, The Vulcan Inn’s owners have highlighted the presence of CCTV which will cover all public areas with images retained for 31 days available to the police upon request and that the system will be checked on a weekly basis.
They also say that a “Challenge 21” policy will be in place so that anyone who looks under 21 will be asked to prove their age with any refusals to sell alcohol recorded on a “refusal register”.
All staff will receive training on the sale of alcohol and people under 18 will not be allowed onto the premises while there will also be a zerotolerance approach to the use of drugs.
The conditions also say that all reasonable steps will be taken to ensure customers leaving the premises don’t cause a disturbance to neighbours with a minimum of four door staff employed.
All drinks will be served in non glass or plastic cups with signage in place reminding people it is illegal for people under 18 to try to buy alcohol.
The council’s special statutory licensing committee will consider the application at its meeting on Wednesday.