Theatre Royal gets its outside drinks license (From The Argus)

Theatre Royal gets its outside drinks license

10:05pm Monday 31st October 2011 in News By Roy Pennington, community correspondent

Council Licensing Panel granted the application to extend the Theatre Royal drinks licence both inside and out into the pavement, but with conditions.

The objections by the Police and residents were over-ridden by the Panel when the Theatre tabled a last-minute amendment, such that only genuine ticket holders who are attending performance at the time will be allowed to drink outside in a seated special area with food, with appropriate signage. Non-ticket holders would not be served, nor would the ticket holder be allowed to purchase drinks for them. There was also restrictions to the times that drinks would be served ect.

This satisfied the Panel as it overcame the assumption that all applications in an Cumulative Impact Zone should be refused, as there were exceptional circumstances. It had been pleaded by the theatre that though it was “possible” it was not “likely” to add to the existing problems in the Zone.

In this way, the Panel were able to distinguish this application from any other application, such as the Court House application a few yards away which was refused recently, thus preserving the principle that all applications are dealt with on their own merits. Under the Council’s Policy, a blanket ban would have been unlawful.

The objectors’ argument that these conditions would be unworkable in practice were listened to.

Full details will be available when the minutes are published.