The Licensing Sub-Committee of Bath and North East Somerset Council is scheduled to consider an application to vary the premises licence for HQ, located at 1 Barton Street, Bath. The committee will also review licensing procedures and address any urgent business.

Application to Vary Premises Licence for HQ

A significant item on the agenda is the application to vary the premises licence for HQ, formerly known as The Canon, at 1 Barton Street, Bath, BA1 1HQ. The applicant, Rosh Limited, is seeking to extend the permitted hours for licensable activities and the opening hours of the premises to 24 hours a day. This extension is primarily to accommodate major international sporting events, such as the Rugby World Cup, Olympics, and Super Bowl, which occur outside of normal UK trading hours.

The application proposes extending hours for the performance of dance, exhibition of films, indoor sporting events, live music, late-night refreshment, recorded music, sale of alcohol, and other entertainment to run from 11:00 to 03:00 daily, with a 24-hour opening period. The applicant has offered additional measures to promote the licensing objectives, including staff training, CCTV, the use of SIA registered door supervisors for selected events, a Challenge 25 policy, and incident/refusal logs.

However, a representation of objection has been received from the Police, who are a responsible authority under the Licensing Act 2003. The Police express concerns that the proposed 24-hour licence could undermine the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder and public nuisance. They argue that the extended hours could lead to increased crime, anti-social behaviour, and noise disturbance, particularly between 02:00 and 06:00. The Police note that no additional conditions have been proposed to address these risks and suggest that occasional events could be accommodated through Temporary Event Notices (TENs) or existing licence provisions. They also highlight that the premises is currently undergoing a change of ownership and refurbishment, with limited evidence provided regarding new management arrangements. The Police recommend refusing the application for a 24-hour licence and retaining the existing 02:00 terminal hour, or alternatively, considering a more limited extension with stringent conditions.

Licensing Procedure

The committee is scheduled to review the licensing procedure, which outlines the process for hearing applications for new premises licences or variations. This procedure details the roles of the applicant, objectors, and responsible authorities, as well as the time allocated for representations and the decision-making process.

Urgent Business

The agenda also includes a provision for the Chair to announce any urgent business that has been agreed upon.