Alcohol licence to be debated

A JESMOND eatery serving takeaway roast dinners has pledged that it will not turn into a drinking venue, amid fears from its neighbours over rowdy antics and rubbish.

Councillors will rule at a hearing next week whether the Tomahawk Roast House in Acorn Road can be granted a licence to sell alcohol.

The takeaway, which opened at the old Filmore and Union cafe last year, wants to be able to sell booze from 11am to 10pm every day, but residents and local councillors have yet again raised concerns about Jesmond’s party atmosphere extending outwards from bars on

Osborne Road. One of the objecting neighbours has warned Newcastle City Council that the plans would be “totally detrimental to residents of the streets near to Acorn Road” and lead to a rise in “noisy late night revellers, general disorder, and rubbish on the streets”.

But Tomahawk Steakhouse boss Howard Eggleston, whose restaurant chain opened the Jesmond takeaway last year, has insisted that the concerns are unfounded and confirmed customers would only be able to buy drinks to have indoors with a meal.

He said: “Quite rightly, people have been concerned that it could turn into a bar or a micropub, but we will have restrictions on the licence.

“Tomahawk has restaurants all over the north, we are not pop-up operators trying to make a quick buck.

“We want to be part of the neighbourhood and something that is really nice.

“We are not trying to open a boozer, that is not our intention and it never has been.”

Mr Eggleston said it had been “really hard” to make the business profitable without some alcohol sales and pointed out that Filmore and Union previously had an alcohol licence too.

However, the former cafe was only allowed to sell booze until 7pm and until 9.30pm on the last Thursday, Friday and Saturday of each month.

Patrick Carney, director of the neighbouring BSIS insurance brokers has objected to Tomahawk’s plans, saying: “There is a well-documented

The Tomahawk Roast House takeaway in Acorn Road, Jesmond

history of anti-social behaviour within Jesmond and in particular around Osborne Road/Acorn Road area and any increase in the number of alcohol licences would compound the problem.”

North Jesmond councillor Wendy Young also warned that a 10pm drinks licence would “add to problems linked to late night anti-social behaviour”, urging the council to restrict the licence to 9pm.

However, Northumbria Police have raised no objections subject to Tomahawk complying to conditions

restricting its operation to a cafe or restaurant style, not selling draught beer, and having only a “small selection of wine, beer and spirits”.

The takeaway had originally applied to extend its opening hours to midnight, but has since scaled back its plans – confirming it will shut at 10pm Monday to Thursday, 10.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and 5.30pm on Sunday.

Newcastle City Council’s licensing sub-committee will decide the takeaway’s fate at a hearing next Tuesday, July 28.