Bexhill bar run in ‘chaotic manner’ for years can reopen under new management

In a decision notice published today (Friday, November 20), a Rother District Council licensing panel has confirmed the Devonshire Bar and Lounge, in Devonshire Square, will be able to keep its licence and reopen in March next year.

The panel said it had come to its decision as the result of Gino Forte, the bar’s owner,   volunteering to close the premises for refurbishment and remove designated premises supervisor Sokol Kapllani from his post ahead of a hearing held last Friday (November 13). 

The decision has been welcomed by Sussex Police, which had called for the licensing review due its concerns around “disorder, assaults and ongoing drug use” at the bar. 

Inspector Olivia Carroll, of the Hastings and Rother Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This has been ongoing for a number of years and despite raising our concerns with the premises licence holder, no improvements have been seen. We felt there was no other proportionate course of action other than a review of the premises licence.

“We would always prefer for premises licence holders to work with us to identify and address any issues, and we will always look to support them with this. However, in the instances where this has not happened, we will take necessary and proportionate action.

“When there is continued crime and disorder associated with a venue, it has a significant impact on people in the area and on police resources. It’s important for us to address these issues in the interests of public safety and for the quality of life of people in our community.”

Initially Sussex Police had been calling for a forced temporary closure of the bar as well as significantly shorter opening hours and the removal of Mr Kapllani from the bar’s management. 

But as the hearing began, councillors heard how police and Mr Forte had come to an agreement on an alternative way forward, following a voluntary closure and the removal of Mr Kapllani as leaseholder.

As a result, Sussex Police had called for Friday and Saturday opening hours to be cut back from 2am to 1am, rather than a reduction from 2am to midnight as initially sought.

This was agreed as long as the bar introduced a new last entry condition, meaning no new customers would be allowed to enter the premises after 12.30am on these nights. 

Police did not call for reduced opening hours on other nights, with the bar allowed to stay open until midnight, but with a last entry condition of 11.30pm. Police had originally called for an 11pm closure on these nights.

A number of other conditions were also agreed as part of this arrangement, including drugs prevention measures.

However, this agreed approach had seen concerns raised by local councillor Christine Bayliss. 

Cllr Bayliss had urged the panel to cut back the bar’s opening hours as originally suggested by police, even if just on a provisional basis. 

This would reassure residents affected by noise and disturbance that a significant change had been made, she said.

The panel did not share this view, however, opting to follow the conditions recommended by Sussex Police.

A spokesman for the councillors said: “The panel was satisfied that the review application was the result of the chaotic manner in which the premises had been managed over the last five years, at the hands of Mr Kapllani.

“They were satisfied it had been justifiably subject to the review application and that it had clearly galvanised Mr Forte into action. 

“The panel was satisfied however, on balance, that he could have done so earlier had he paid more attention to what was happening at the premises; given it appeared to be common knowledge amongst local people, according to the evidence of Cllr Bayliss. 

“The panel was reassured that the police and officers believed the measures offered a template for Mr Forte to make the premises work for the benefit of the town, subject to his direct management control as the future DPS.

“They were equally re-assured that should Mr Forte fail to honour the assurances he made to the panel throughout the hearing, that the police would not hesitate to bring a second review.”