Cocktail bar dubbed 'noisiest in Norwich' has licence taken away

A cocktail bar named the noisiest in Norwich – and where punters thought it was “acceptable to overtly take drugs – has had its licence revoked following a series of complaints.

Sherbet Lemon, a brightly coloured venue on Prince of Wales Road, will no longer be allowed to serve alcohol after City Hall stepped in, forcing it to close.

Officials and councillors carried out a review of the premise’s licence after police raised a series of concerns.

These included reports of excessive noise, drug taking, and fire exits being blocked up at the venue, which is run by Richard Chisnell, who also owns the next-door Fat Fox Pizza Den.

Norwich City Council’s public protection officers served an ‘abatement notice’ on the bar in February, ordering noise to be cut, following complaints from a neighbour.

A group of councillors conducting the review heard Sherbet Lemon was 18 decibels louder than the rest of Prince of Wales Road, with the volume made worse with high levels of bass.

Michelle Bartram, Norfolk Constabulary’s licensing officer, said: “The police have had a number of concerns about the venue relating to reports of poor management, which include breaches of conditions, reports about the lack of control of patrons both inside and outside the premises and patrons being highly intoxicated due to drugs.”

Ms Bartram described a bar where customers think “it is acceptable to overtly take drugs”.

She said police were forced to intervene and call an ambulance for one man on December 4 after staff failed to help.

While the number of issues at the venue has decreased since Christmas, she told councillors she was not convinced concerns had been addressed.

Mr Chisnell did not attend the meeting but in an email to officers claimed all the issues had been resolved.

Councillors unanimously agreed to revoke the licence.

‘I FEEL STITCHED UP’

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Chisnell said he was surprised by the decision, insisting the issues raised had already been addressed.

He had already decided to give up the venue’s lease in May, regardless of the council’s verdict.

He said: “All these issues had been fixed, everything was fine.

“But for some reason, it is a problem now because of one noise complaint. I feel I have been a bit stitched up.

“The noise complaints had been coming from the front door, so I gave door staff a noise monitor and it was louder at a bar across the road than at Sherbet Lemon.”

The bar owner said the venue has been shut since March.