The Licensing Panel (Licensing Act 2003 Functions) of Brighton and Hove Council scheduled a meeting to take place on 10 September 2025. The meeting included procedural business and introductions, and the main item on the agenda was the consideration of a premises licence application. The report pack included a recommendation that the panel determine the application.

Brighton College Licensing Application

The panel was scheduled to consider an application for a variation of a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 for Brighton College, Eastern Road, Brighton.

The applicant, Brighton College, was requesting to add two buildings to their existing premises licence: the Sarah Abrahams Music School and the Richard Cairns Building, described as a 400-capacity theatre. According to the report pack, both spaces are intended to host dance, drama, and live music events. The application stated that for most events, recorded music would be played and alcohol would be sold before the start of the event and during intervals, with no alcohol sales after the events and a cut-off time of 23:00. The report pack noted that both buildings are within the school grounds, events would take place indoors, and no new licensable activities were proposed other than adding these two buildings to an existing licence.

The report pack included a table summarising the existing and proposed activities:

The report pack stated that the premises does not fall in the Cumulative Impact Area or the Special Stress Area¹. The report pack noted that ten representations were received from local residents, with concerns relating to public safety, prevention of public nuisance, and protection of children from harm.

Representations included concerns about:

• Noise disturbance
• Extended commercial hours
• Increased footfall and congestion
• Setting a precedent for further commercialisation
• The risk of undermining licensing objectives
• Child safeguarding

One resident wrote:

This application fundamentally conflicts with the Brighton & Hove City Plan Part One (Policy QD27), which seeks to prevent development that causes material nuisance or loss of amenity to existing residents. The proposed alcohol sales would likely generate:

• Evening noise from gatherings or events (indoors or outdoors),
• Increased traffic and parking issues during the evenings,
• General disturbance inconsistent with a quiet residential area.

Another resident stated:

This contradicts the principles laid out in Brighton & Hove's Statement of Licensing Policy 2021–2026, which clearly states that premises where the primary use is the provision of education or accommodation to children or young people should not normally be licensed for the sale of alcohol.

The report pack also noted that conditions were agreed with Sussex Police, Environmental Protection, and the applicant. Sussex Police proposed a number of conditions, including:

• Authorised Sussex Police licensing officers having the right to access the premises during operating hours for inspection.
• All events being run by the Brighton College performing arts team and security team with a gold, silver, and bronze level of oversight and decision making.
• The bar only being open for the sale of alcoholic drinks during the pre-performance period and during the interval.
• Digital CCTV and appropriate recording equipment being installed, operated, and maintained throughout the premises.
• The keeping of an incident log at the premises.
• The production of a documented risk assessment.
• All staff members engaged in selling, serving, or delivering alcohol receiving induction training.
• The operation of a Challenge 25 policy².
• Signage advertising the 'Challenge 25' policy being displayed in prominent locations.

Environmental Protection also agreed conditions with the applicant, including:

• A dedicated contact number or email address being made available to local residents for reporting any disturbances or concerns during events.
• Staff being assigned to monitor and manage the dispersal of guests at the end of events.

The report pack referenced several sections of Brighton & Hove City Council's Statement of Licensing Policy, including those relating to the licensing objectives³, the matrix approach⁴, public safety, prevention of public nuisance, and protection of children from harm.