Planned new Brighton nightclub offers to ban stag and hen parties

Nemabil Ltd wants to open a club called the Toy Shop in place of Jamie’s Italian, in Black Lion Street, in The Lanes.

But its application for a licence has been opposed by a neighbouring business, Sussex Police and the Brighton and Hove City Council licensing team.

Nemabil wants a seven-day licence, staying open until 2am on Thursdays and Sundays and until 3am on Friday and Saturdays.

But the club would be in the centre of Brighton – designated a “cumulative impact area” by the council and subject to extra licensing restrictions.

The council’s policy is to refuse new licences for night clubs, pubs, bars and late-night takeaways unless the applicant can show exceptional circumstances.

Nemabil said: “Having seen the carnage in Brighton city centre, we understand why there is a restriction on new licences and why strict glassware conditions are required for existing licences.

“However, if Brighton wants to raise the quality and public perception of the night-time economy as well as reduce the strain on the emergency services in the medium to long term, we believe it needs to do some reshaping of the demographic it attracts as a whole.

“This is only achieved by introducing more night-time economy businesses that appeal to a more discerning clientele.”

The company offered to ban stag and hen parties, under 21s and anyone in fancy dress except Halloween and Pride.

And it promised to bar anyone seen drinking in the street and groups of four or more unless they were mixed while scanning identity documents and searching people’s bags on entry.

Inspector Rob Lovell said that the area was “challenging” for the emergency services and that Nemabil had not “fully considered” the impact of a new night club on the area.

The Sussex Police licensing inspector said: “A dance floor is included within the plans and (there are) no conditions restricting vertical drinking.”

A neighbouring business owner, whose details have been redacted from public documents, said that planning permission for the site included conditions restricting its use to a restaurant, open until 11.30pm.

The objection said: “Our company would have no objections to welcoming a food-led operator into the area if their trading style and premises licence conditions ensured it operated with a total table service policy as it is well known that the seated concept is a lot less likely to result in crime, disorder and public nuisance than a densely populated vertical drinking establishment.”

Council licensing officer Donna Lynsdale said that the business would be in Regency ward which ranked as the worst in Brighton and Hove for alcohol-related ambulance call-outs.

And it was ranked second worst for police-recorded alcohol-related incidents.

The application is due to be decided by a council licensing panel at Hove Town Hall next week.

The panel is scheduled to meet at 10am next Wednesday (8 January) and the hearing should be held in public.