Burgess Hill pub given permission to extend its opening hours

A Burgess Hill pub has been given permission to extend its opening hours.

The Cricketers, in West Street, can now sell alcohol and refreshments until 1am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights rather than the current midnight.

Approval was given by Mid Sussex District Council’s liquor licensing panel during a meeting on Tuesday (January 23).

As well as approving the extended hours, the panel also agreed that a number of outdated conditions to the premises licence should be removed.

The pub sits in a residential area and the council heard from five people who were opposed to the change in hours, raising concerns about noise.

One Burgess Hill resident said: “I have nothing against the pub but I know so many of my neighbours and others that live close are very concerned over this change.

“If something could be done about the car park so people who are visiting do not park by people’s houses it would certainly help ease the worry but as it stands we already have enough trouble with people leaving and making noise at midnight.”

Issues with parking were not among those being considered by the panel – they simply had to decide whether to extend the opening hours.

Paul Thornton, speaking on behalf of applicant Simon Hancock, explained that the reason for the application had been to keep customers at The Cricketers rather than lose them to three nearby pubs which are all allowed to serve until 1am.

He added: “This anomaly means that regular customers, who would normally stay later at Cricketers are leaving to get a late drink elsewhere.”

Mr Thornton described a number of conditions which have been added to the licence.

They include a detailed CCTV condition showing where cameras should be placed, no outside drinking past 11pm, no use of the patio and garden after 10pm and a last entry time for new customers of 11.30pm.

He added that the new conditions would apply all week, not just Thursday to Saturday.

Sussex Police raised no objection to the plans to extend the opening hours and the meeting was told that ‘no untoward incidents’ had been reported regarding the pub.

Regarding noise concerns, Mr Thornton said there had been two complaints – one in 2018 and one in 2020 – neither of which resulted in any formal action.

He added: “I have no doubt that a pub in such a location will, from time to time, be guilty of some noise escape, either by a door being left open for too long or a customer being a little too exuberant.”

But he refuted suggestions that there were noise issues every weekend, encouraging residents to call the pub if they were being bothered.

As for the parking concerns, he said as many of 95 per cent of people who used the pub walked there.

The panel agreed that the extra opening hours should be allowed.

But Julie Mockford, chair of the panel, advised that, should regular noise complaints be received, the decision could be reviewed.