Pub’s 3.30am bid is rejected
POLICE OBJECT TO BAR’S APPLICATION
A POPULAR city centre pub has lost its battle to stay open until after 3am.
The owners of Lady Grey’s wanted to delay last orders from 2am to 3am every day, and push its closing time back to 3.30am.
But police have succeeded in convincing council bosses that the plans would lead to an increase in crime around the Shakespeare Street venue.
The pub’s owners, Ladhar Leisure, had proposed a trade-off in a bid to win over councillors – offering to bring forward the terminal hour of another of its premises, the basement of the Charles Grey, to 2am in exchange for the additional hour at Lady Grey’s.
However, Northumbria Police solicitor Hayley Hebb questioned whether that was a fair deal. She told a Newcastle City Council licensing sub-committee on Tuesday: “What would really be the impact if we were to accept that offer? As a matter of commercial realism, you would not offer to give something away if you cannot afford it. I imagine Charles Grey is not that busy at that time of the morning.”
Insp Louise Jenkins added that Lady Grey’s did not pose a problem for the police, but an extra hour of drinking would lead to greater crime and disorder around taxi ranks and takeaways once the pub empties.
Council licensing boss Jonathan Bryce added that he worried about setting a precedent for other bars and pubs to stay open beyond the usual limits imposed by the local authority.
Charles Holland, the solicitor representing Ladhar Leisure, told the committee that the pub was an “unattractive venue with a bad reputation” when it traded as the Adelphi, but has now earned a good reputation as a “proper pub”.
He added that it is a “completely trouble-free premises” that attracts professionals, bar and restaurant workers coming to the end of their night shifts, and the cast and crew of Theatre Royal productions.
Mr Holland said: “The current position is that this premises is trading to 2am and open to 3am without any issues. The reason that is happening is the style of the operation and the demographic of the people going there.
“We have mature people who aren’t interested in going out and causing trouble.”
Ladhar Leisure chief Barry Ladhar had said that if the plans were approved, then the extra revenue generated from Lady Grey’s would be used to redevelop the Charles Grey as an upmarket venue in the style of The Botanist. However, that will not go ahead after councillors rejected the proposal.