Thursday, February 23, 2023

News: Council reviewing Wickersley pub and bar policy

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Rotherham Council is to look again at its policy that affects the number of new or varied alcohol licences being granted in the popular Wickersley area of Rotherham.

A statement of licensing policy was approved in 2020 as the council is responsible for licensing the sale of alcohol, hot food and various events. It included a Cumulative Impact Policy which detailed that an area of Wickersley village would become a Cumulative Impact Zone.

Policies are introduced if the authority considers that the number of licensed premises within a defined area is at such a level that the granting of further licences would be inconsistent with the promotion of the licensing objectives.

The zone was introduced to combat "problems surrounding anti-social behaviour, low-level crime, public nuisance including noise and ambulance related alcohol call outs in a mainly residential area."

The policy is required to be reviewed every three years, and any review must be consulted upon, before being published alongside an appropriate evidence base.

The council has now decided to carry out a consultation process with residents, businesses, Elected Members, and statutory consultees as defined in the Licensing Act 2003.

The Council was keen to make clear that the policy does not create a ban on the grant of licenses within Wickersley but an applicant "must be able to demonstrate to the Council and other responsible authorities that granting a new or varied licence will not add to the cumulative impact already being experienced within the area."

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There were nineteen premises within Wickersley back in 2020. In total, sixteen premises are located along a 300 metre section of Bawtry Road. It is explained that the area does not have the required infrastructure to deal with a large and sustained night-time economy and residents have cited noise nuisance from premises as a key issue, alongside issues with street scene such as broken glass, fouling and vomiting.

Since the policy's introduction, FIKA Coffee Lounge successfully secured a licence for the sale by retail of alcohol and the playing of music on The Tanyard. In the face of objections, the applicant explained the operating model which was unlikely to cause nuisance to local residents at a coffee lounge selling breakfasts, brunch, lunches and afternoon teas. It is only intended to open in the evenings for private bookings and special events.

Over the road, The Garrison restaurant secured planning permission in 2021 to operate as a drinking establishment, despite objections.

In 2022, Rothbiz reported that operators of Seasons restaurant, who are also the owners of The Courtyard next door, wanted to vary the premises licence that currently restricts Seasons to operate solely as a restaurant, save for alcohol being served to those waiting to be seated or ancillary to a restaurant meal.

The licencing officer at Rotherham Council said that the changes would make the premises "more akin to a pub than a restaurant and would adversely affect residents within the locality due to noise and the likelihood for increased disorder following increased demand for drinks only within the premises."

Images: Google Maps

16 comments:

Anonymous,  February 23, 2023 at 4:43 PM  

They've got it wrong in my opinion. It's the late licenses that results in problems, not the amount of licencs. So turning down licences for a micro bar or restaurants that don't attract the idiots is pointless. Sort Masons out and the problem virtually disappears.

Anonymous,  February 23, 2023 at 5:05 PM  

I hope the poor folk of Hellaby get a yearly review of the stinking great warehouse on their doorstep. Noise pollution, tick. Air pollution, tick. Gridlock at rush hour, tick. No consistency with RMBC.

Anonymous,  February 23, 2023 at 10:16 PM  

Whileever more bars are opening in Wickersley its leaving the town centre behind. Would be brilliant to get town back to how it was in the 80s/90s and even the 2000s. Always feels strange going out in a suburb on a weekend instead of a town or city centre like everywhere else in the counrty

Anonymous,  February 24, 2023 at 8:47 AM  

Entirely agree with the first comment. Typical RMBC: using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Anonymous,  February 24, 2023 at 10:16 AM  

They will as soon as posh folk move from Wickersley to Hellaby

Anonymous,  February 24, 2023 at 11:39 AM  

Wickersley on an weekend, full of well off chavs

Anonymous,  February 24, 2023 at 3:56 PM  

Agree ,get more bars and some quality eateries in town centre,maybe forge island development will be a catalyst for rebirth of Rotherham nightlife....not all of us want to go to wickersley and rub shoulder with gliterati....aka ten bob millionaires,give me county any day,no pretentious tits in there!

Anonymous,  February 25, 2023 at 8:13 AM  

Yes, the coffee shops do a roaring trade from yummie mummies

Anonymous,  February 25, 2023 at 8:47 PM  

The comments on here are very derogatory

Anonymous,  February 27, 2023 at 4:16 PM  

Can't see how curbing places like Wickersley will bring people flooding back into the town centre, unless there's something actually worthwhile to visit after 11:00pm.

When I've had the misfortune to visit Rotherham Town Centre in the evenings I feel like I'm walking through a scene in Shaun of the Dead!

Anonymous,  February 27, 2023 at 4:53 PM  

How can you visit somewhere by misfortune? Did you get on a mystery tour or were you hoping to get a part as an extra?

Anonymous,  February 28, 2023 at 8:40 AM  

Mainly the poorly phrased and misspelled ones

Anonymous,  March 1, 2023 at 12:37 PM  

Sooner walk in a seen from Shaun of the dead with real people,than stuck up there own arses ,and living on there flexible friends types at wickersley... without doubt one of the most false neighbourhoods around!

Anonymous,  March 1, 2023 at 3:39 PM  

Is there an English translation available?

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