By Hannah Brown

Copyright cambridge-news

The owners of a proposed new wine bar in Cambridge have been told they can’t sell alcohol after police and public health officials raised concerns about the plans. Cambridge City Council refused to grant an alcohol licence for The C Bar, which is proposed to open on the corner of Devonshire Road and Mill Road.

The company behind the plans, Golden Direction Property Limited, had asked for permission to sell alcohol at the bar between 11am and 10.30pm from Monday to Saturday. A hearing was held this week (September 15) to consider the licence application after objections were lodged by Cambridgeshire Constabulary and public health officials.

The applicant did not attend the hearing, but councillors decided to go ahead without them present, recognising they had already adjourned a previous hearing to give the applicant more time to address concerns raised.

PC Clare Metcalfe, licensing officer for the police, told councillors that in her opinion the licence application was “poor quality” and did not provide enough information for statutory authorities, like the police, to make an informed decision.

PC Metcalfe said she was also concerned that the lack of detail provided could demonstrate a “lack of awareness of the responsibilities” the applicant would have as an alcohol licence holder. She added that she was aware licensing officers at the city council had emailed the applicant asking questions she said police also wanted answers to, and that no reply had been received.

PC Metcalfe said she was also “unclear” what sort of business the applicant actually wanted to run. She said: “The applicant states the premises is a wine bar, however from the plan drawings, it indicates a spa room, steam room and massage room, on the ground floor there are rooms described as a restaurant, the plans also show hotel beds.”

PC Metcalfe said the conditions proposed by the applicant were “inadequate” to demonstrate how they would minimise the impact of the new bar on the area. Kate Parker, a public health officer, said they were also not sure what the premises was actually planned to be used for.

She highlighted the bar would be within the Mill Road cumulative impact area, meaning the applicant should have provided information on how their business would not create a further impact on the area.

Ms Parker also told the hearing that most of the applicant’s responses on how it would uphold the licensing objectives, such as public safety and prevention of public nuisance, made reference to a security team being employed. She said: “This did not provide confidence that the applicant would be able to promote the licensing objectives as it will all fall to the security team.”

Ms Parker said they had put forward a list of recommended conditions public health officials would expect to see for a premises like this and explained that she had hoped to agree these with the applicant prior to the hearing, however said they never heard back from them.

After hearing from the police and public health officials councillors considered the application in private, before returning to announce they had decided to refuse the licence application.

Councillor Rosy Moore said not enough information had been provided for the licensing sub-committee to “properly consider granting” the licence and that they were not confident the applicant had the skills needed to uphold the licensing objectives.

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