The Licensing Review Sub-Committee was scheduled to convene on 8 December 2025, to review the premises licence for The Borough Hall, following an application made by Councillor Pat Slattery. The application cited concerns relating to public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. The sub-committee was expected to consider modifications to the licence, the exclusion of licensable activities, the removal of the designated premises supervisor (DPS), a licence suspension of no more than three months, or a revocation of the licence.

Review of Premises Licence for The Borough Hall

The sub-committee was scheduled to review the premises licence for The Borough Hall, Royal Hill, following an application by Councillor Pat Slattery. The application stated that the operation of the premises was undermining the licensing objectives. Councillor Pat Slattery raised concerns about:

• Noise and disturbance from patrons leaving the venue, including shouting, car doors slamming, and engines revving.
• Noise escaping from the premises, particularly when doors and windows were left open.
• Disturbance from loading and unloading activities at unsociable hours.
• Poor waste management, leading to foul odours and litter.

Councillor Pat Slattery requested that the sub-committee consider:

• Suspending the licence for three months to allow for management improvements.
• Restricting licensable activities to end at 21:00 daily, with an exception for two Saturdays per month until 23:00.
• Replacing the existing inaudibility condition with a specific decibel limit set by an independent body.
• Removing statutory exemptions to ensure noise conditions are always enforceable.
• Imposing stricter operational conditions, including restrictions on loading/unloading times, mandatory parking marshals, and a comprehensive waste management plan.

The report pack included several appendices to support the review, including the review application, the premises licence, and the licensing sub-committee decision notice from 3 January 2025.

The Borough Hall operates as a multi-use events venue, hosting both community activities and late-night entertainment. The current premises licence was granted on 3 January 2025, following an application by Eden Group Operations Limited. The application sought to authorise a wide range of licensable activities. The application attracted significant representations from local residents, primarily concerning the prevention of public nuisance and crime and disorder.

Following the grant of the premises licence in January 2025, the Licensing Authority began receiving a high volume of complaints regarding the operation of the premises. Between 3 March 2025 and 21 September 2025, the Licensing Team recorded complaints from eight individuals. In response to early complaints, a mediation meeting was held on 30 May 2025, resulting in an agreed action plan where the licensee committed to installing secondary glazing, implementing a pulsed exit strategy¹, and employing parking marshals. A follow-up meeting was held three months later to review the effectiveness of the action plan, but the prevailing view among residents was that the measures had not effectively resolved the nuisance.

Between 1 March 2025 and 22 August 2025, Licensing Officers conducted 17 inspections of the premises. On nine occasions, the premises were found to be closed or operating low-intensity activities. During the remaining visits where regulated entertainment was taking place, officers consistently recorded that no music was audible from the street or the rear at Peyton Place.

The report pack also included minutes from two mediation meetings (30 May 2025 and 10 September 2025), licensing inspection reports, a map of the area, and representations from responsible authorities and other persons.

The Community Protection Team submitted a representation in support of the review application, highlighting that they had received 28 complaints regarding noise nuisance from the premises between February 2025 and November 2025. Thirteen representations were received from local residents in support of the review application, while 24 representations were received in support of the premises.