We should begin
by making it clear that we are broadly supportive of
bringing the colonnades into use provided this can be done in a way which
respects their position at the heart of the World Heritage City.
However, the
premises are very close to a number of noise and nuisance sensitive residential
premises who are regularly affected by noise and anti-social behaviour from
late night revellers in Grand Parade and Orange Grove. Many of the nearest
noise sensitive premises are occupied by people in their 80's. People living on
levels 1,2 and 3 of the Empire regularly report this kind of disturbance as do
visitors sleeping in guest rooms at the (basement) level of the Colonnades.
These
premises are at the epicentre of Bath's late night drinking culture with drink
based establishments on North Parade, Pierrepont Street, across the other side
of the weir and late night refreshment establishments in Grand Parade and
Orange Grove. In addition to this Grand Parade and Orange Grove see most of the
late night drinking crowd from the rest of Bath as they make their way to the
taxi ranks and the station. This means that additional, particularly late night,
licences issued in this area are very likely to increase the disorder already
experience by residents and enforcement agencies.
Another
concern is music and particularly amplified music. Residents are already
impacted by noise from musical events beside the river and we are aware from
many instances across the city that music created in vaults, particularly if it
contains low frequencies, can propagate through building structures for great
distances. The guest rooms in the basement the Empire which are at the level of
the Colonnades are often occupied by young children and are particularly
sensitive to this sort of disturbance.
River safety
is a major concern in Bath with a quite unacceptable number of deaths having
occurred over recent years many of which have involved victims who have been
drinking alcohol. We have witnessed occasions when police resource have be
diverted to deal with people who, often under the influence of alcohol, have
decided to "take the plunge" in the pool behind the weir. Again this
raises concerns about the management of premises serving alcohol at the
riverside which we believe the licencing authority needs to address in setting conditions.
In the light
of this we would urge the licencing authority to impose the following changes
and additions to the proposed conditions:
1. No alcohol
to be consumed in outside areas after 22:30 and the area to be cleared by
23:00.
- Outside
areas are invariably a source of noise pollution
2. All
alcohol sales to cease at 23:30
- To allow
for drinking up time
3. Alcohol
sales on Sundays to end at 22:30
- Sunday is
currently the only really relatively quiet night and that should be preserved
4. New Year’s
alcohol sales to end at 1:00
5. No alcohol
sales before 11:00
- as a matter
of general principle it is not clear that the authority should provide for the
early morning consumption of alcohol. If when the units are let tenants can
offer a justification in their particular circumstances they may then apply
formally for a variation.
6.On-sales of
alcohol to be served by waiters only to customers sitting at tables and
consuming food.
- the is
already too much vertical drinking in this area
7. Customers
not to leave the premises with glass containers.
8. Ideally we
would like to see music restricted to a level appropriate to creating an
ambience for eating.
However, if
the authority is not minded to do this we would propose:
- noise
limiters on all amplifiers set to levels agreed by the local authority
- no noise
being audible in the nearest noise sensitive premises
- a
requirement to close all windows and doors after 23:00 if music is being
performed
9. CCTV
coverage of all exits from the premises and on to the parades.
10. A
dispersal policy for the management of people leaving after midnight.
11. A
requirement to clear litter around the entrance and exits at close of business
