New alcohol and events licence approved for Seaton Carew Community and Sports Club in Hartlepool, despite objections

This week, Hartlepool Borough Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee were asked to consider an application for Hornby Park off Elizabeth Way in Seaton Carew.

The park is the home of Seaton Carew Community and Sports Club, which has more than 1,000 members.

Until recently, the club had both a club premises certificate, which allows licensable activities for club members seven days a week, and a premises licence which allows alcohol sales / entertainment for the general public on Saturdays and Sundays until 7pm.

New proposals included the club surrendering its club premises certificate and instead, operating with an amended premises licence.

The application asked for permission to extend trading for the general public to as late as 11.30pm, seven days a week, as well as a request to hold four outdoor events per year.

During consultation on the licence variation and events application, the council received five objections from local residents with concerns ranging from noise to traffic nuisance.

Arguments for and against the licence application were thrashed out at a meeting of the Licensing Sub-Committee on Monday, May 30, at Hartlepool Civic Centre.

While objectors accepted the sports club would be extending hours for the general public but reducing hours overall, they raised concerns about the new premises licence attracting trouble.

Some claimed they had had negative experiences linked to the venue including noise nuisance and drunken behaviour when “revellers come outside”.

One speaker said the sports club and its annual events could become a “source of aggravation in the future for the local community”.

Representatives for the sports club, responding, said planned outdoor events would be family-orientated and would run until 7pm – with security measures and stewards in place.

They added that a high fence would be installed around the event site in future to help monitor crowd numbers and that the sports club was exploring early proposals to extend its car park.

In the meantime, club bosses confirmed plans were being developed to mitigate parking pressures, including redirecting visitors to other parking provision nearby.

Members of the public heard that funds raised through Hornby Park events would be reinvested back into the development of the club and its activities.

Sports club chiefs added the “door was always open” to listen to neighbours who had concerns and clarified the venue did not plan to open until 11.30pm every night.

Councillors on the Licensing Sub-Committee said they understood residents’ concerns and quizzed Hornby Park bosses about the licensing application and planned events.

Councillor Rob Cook, chair of the panel, suggested that objectors form a residents’ association and that improved communication between the sports club and local residents would help avoid conflict in future.

Cllr Cook told the meeting:”I know we’ve got to look at this in the licensing point of view but it would be good if you had a certain rapport with the club […] so that you don’t have this situation and where you listen to each other”.

During discussion, council environmental health officers confirmed there had been four noise complaints over the last 12 years linked to the venue but that some incidents may go unreported.

Council licensing officers also stressed that powers were available to call the premises licence back before councillors for ‘review’ if problems arise in future.

After retiring to consider the matter in private, the Licensing Sub-Committee granted the new premises licence subject to a number of conditions.

The conditions include:

:: The sale of alcohol outside of the clubhouse is restricted to 10am until 7pm, seven days a week.

:: Last entry to the clubhouse, for new customers, is restricted to 9pm.

:: Except for the four special outside events per year, all external drinking areas shall be closed to the public at 10pm.

:: The maximum cumulative attendance (not the number at any one time) at any special external event is limited to 1,000.

:: All special outside events to be held at the premises must first go through Hartlepool Borough Council’s Independent Safety Advisory Group process at least six weeks prior to the event taking place.

:: There shall be a maximum of four special outside events per calendar year and each must be concluded no later than 7pm.