Agenda item

            The Building Control Manager reminded the Committee that that particular area of the Malone Road was a major centre for nightlife in the city in the 1990s. The three licensed premises located in this area, The Botanic Inn, The Eglantine Inn (which was now The Post House), and the Wellington Park Hotel had, in the past, been subject to objections and complaints which had resulted in a number of Committee and Special Committee meetings. Additionally, decisions of the Council were the subject of appeal by the applicants and heard at Belfast Recorders Court.

            The Members were reminded that the normal process for dealing with Entertainments Licence applications which were not the subject of objections was that the licence would be granted, as provided for in the Council’s Scheme of Delegation.  However, due to previous conditions set by the Council restricting the hours of entertainment for the three licensed premises in this area, the application was being presented to the Committee for its consideration even though no objections had been received.

            The Committee was advised that major refurbishment works had been carried out to the premises in 2023 and The Post House now operated as a restaurant/bar where previously, as the Eglantine Inn, it operated as a nightclub.

            The days and hours during which entertainment may be provided under the terms of the current Entertainments Licence were:

Monday - Tuesday           11:30 am to 11.00pm 

Wednesday - Saturday    11:30 am to 1.00am the following morning, and

Sunday                            12:30 pm to 12.00 midnight.

            A special condition permitted entertainment to 12.30am on Easter Monday and if Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day or Halloween fell on a Monday or Tuesday night. 

            A further condition stipulated that the Licensee was to attend, as required, liaison meetings between the Building Control Service, the Lower Malone Residents’ Association and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.   However, since the current applicant had taken over the premises there had been no requests from any party to hold such a meeting.

            The Committee was advised that the nature of the variation was to extend the hours during which entertainment may be provided on Monday and Tuesday nights to 1.00am the following morning. This would allow the business to stay competitive with other local bars in the area and in the City Centre as they lost any crowd they had on those nights to other local bars after 11pm.

            At present entertainment was provided in the form of live bands playing from Thursday to Sunday inclusive.  The Members were advised that the entertainment would be in the form of one-piece acoustic acts on those nights.

            The Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service had both been consulted in relation to the application and had confirmed that they had no objection to the application.

            No noise complaints had been received by the Service in relation to the venue in the past 12 months.

After discussion, the Committee approved the application for the variation of the 7-Day Annual Entertainments Licence to vary the hours during which entertainment may be provided as follows:

 Monday - Saturday 11:30 am to 1.00am the following morning, and

 Sunday 12:30 pm to 12.00 midnight; and

The Committee also:

·        noted that the entertainment provided on Monday and Tuesday nights would be in the form of one-piece acoustic acts and;

·        further agreed that officers would facilitate a meeting of the Lower Malone Residents’ Association and the new owners of the venue, in order to try and encourage positive relations.