Short licence suspension for Forest Row bar

Last Tuesday (December 1), a Wealden District Council licensing panel met to consider licence of the Hop Yard Brewing Co. in Lewes Road.

The hearing came as a result of an application from the council’s own environmental health team, calling on councillors to either revoke or suspend the bar’s licence in light of evidence of drug use and alleged breaches of coronavirus regulations at the premises. 

In a decision notice published yesterday (Tuesday, December 7), the panel confirmed it would suspend the licence for a period of seven days and require the bar to appoint a new Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS). 

In the decision notice, a spokesman for the panel said: “The members were satisfied that the review application had been quite properly brought before them, notwithstanding the complaints by the Premises Licence Holder (PLH) that he had been targeted and harassed. 

“At the time of the application, the members were satisfied there had been a catalogue of failures in the licensing objectives. 

“It was said by the PLH that the review process itself had been a punishment in itself, and whilst the members had no interest in punishment, they were satisfied that it had galvanised the PLH into taking the whole issue more seriously.”

The panel said it was satisfied that the bar had made significant improvements to its drugs and covid prevention measures since concerns were first raised, but that a licence suspension would be appropriate to cement these improvements.

As well as the suspension and appointment of a new DPS, the bar will be required to introduce new staff training and a condition requiring all alcohol off-sales to be made in sealed containers.

The panel said its decision was intended to balance a desire for “prevention and deterrence” with the “community interest” in keeping the premises open. The panel said the suspension was also set at a length so as not to “financially cripple” the business.

A spokesman for the panel said: “The members were satisfied that with all these measures in place, together with the concerted effort of the Premises Licence Holder (PLH), with a new DPS, the licensing objectives would be upheld in the future.

“They were satisfied this decision was a reasonable, proportionate and measured decision following the application, however they believed that should any further review application be made in the future about further licensing failures, a future hearing may well be less inclined to be so forgiving.”