Newport bikers' cafe-bar 'overjoyed' as council compromises on longer alcohol licence hours
A bikers' café-bar in Newport is “thrilled and overjoyed” after being given permission to sell alcohol for longer – albeit not as long as it had applied for.
Councillors handed down their compromise decision on Dragon Soul’s application to vary its alcohol licence when they met amid a crowd of objectors and supporters on Thursday (January 8).
The Forton Road venue had wanted to extend its licensed hours until 10pm on seven nights a week. The licensing sub committee has already allowed that for two nights and up to 8pm on the others.
All present at Meeting Point House in Telford on Thursday agreed that the café-bar is an asset for the community in the town.
But the sides were deeply divided over noise if the venue were allowed to be open as late as 10pm on seven nights of the week. It was already licensed to do so on two nights a week.
One objector told the committee that even when the venue’s doors are closed he could hear drunken renditions of ‘I Got You Babe’ from karaoke events as if they were in his living room.
The venue attracts ‘mature’ customers, many from the local area, which one objector referred to as “not the sons of anarchy, but the granddads of anarchy”.
Objector Natalie Jukes told Telford & Wrekin Council’s licensing sub committee that in the summer months she could not put her child to bed because of the noise when motorcyclists turn up.
“I can’t open my windows and put my child to bed because of the noise,” she said.
The venue sits next to a petrol station which is run by a different business.
She added: “The noise from the bikers is horrific at times and sometimes people can feel their houses vibrating.”
A residents committee was formed because of the issue but she added: “Your business is wonderful, your cakes are amazing and you are lovely people.”
Another objector, calling himself a “Lambretta man”, said it would be impossible to control riders who were revving their engines.
He called for a compromise position of being licensed to sell alcohol and host events to 8pm.
The venue is already licensed until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, with 6pm being the latest during the rest of the week.
Applicant Natalie Sereda told the committee that the team’s doors are open if residents want to bring their concerns to them. Dragon Soul is set to celebrate its second anniversary next month.
She said being licensed until 10pm would give them the flexibility to sell drinks for longer if customers wanted that. But most of the time the latest they would be open would be “between 8pm and 9pm”.
The venue can already pay £21 to Telford & Wrekin Council for up to 15 temporary event notices which would allow it to open for longer.
The applicant was supported by several friends, local residents and customers who spoke at the five-hour meeting.
A Facebook group called Friends of Dragon Soul has some 360 members.
Local resident Les Goodchild told the meeting that “the negative comments do not reflect my experience in the community”.
A 65-year-old widow told the three sub committee members that she started attending after her husband died.
“It is just a wonderful place,” she said. “These people are nice and kind.”
She added: “Natalie makes the best cakes in the world.”
PC Steven Mellor, West Mercia Police licensing officer, said there had been no official reports of anti-social behaviour.
He told the committee that the force had originally made a “representation” after not receiving confirmation that the venue would accept a raft of conditions.
He added that there had been a “communication mix up” and the venue had in fact agreed to all conditions so he officially withdrew the representation.
After deliberation behind closed doors Councillor John Thompson, chairing the sub committee, handed over to an official to make the announcement.
They said that the venue would be licensed from 9am to 8pm on Monday to Thursday and 9am to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
The decision is subject to a 21-day appeal period but the venue has been allowed to operate on that basis for now at least.
There was no sign of objection to that following the meeting and the applicants were happy.
The venue posted on Facebook that it is “thrilled and overjoyed” with the decision and the “incredible support”
“Thank you so much to everyone who’ve been with us, supported and helped.”
