Ipswich bar could see licence revoked after multiple breaches
The breaches included failure to prevent crime and disorder, public nuisance, and to protect children from harm
A bar in the centre of Ipswich could see its licence revoked after a police report found multiple breaches.
Suffolk Constabulary submitted an application for the review of the premises licence for Bar A-Z on Great Colman Street, after finding ‘multiple incidents of breaches’ of the licence’s conditions by the licence holder and the designated premises supervisor.
The breaches included failure to prevent crime and disorder, public nuisance, and to protect children from harm — these span from January to August last year.
Sharon Betts-Palmer, the constabulary’s licensing officer, outlined several fights which took place at the premises between February and April, one of which involved 12 people.
The force’s report also outlined an incident at the end of April last year in which a drunk male was aggressive to bar staff, ejected by door staff, but then the licence holder, Mr Hasan Demaj, told officers the male aggressor had done nothing wrong and could go back inside.
Several complaints were also made citing too much noise coming from the premises as a result of open doors, in breach of the bar’s condition to keep doors and windows shut while there was live music or DJs were in operation.
Despite an action plan being agreed upon and signed after an inspection on February 16, the very next week officers found the premises to be in breach of conditions by having only one member of door staff on-site, as opposed to two.
The action plan also included the creation of several policies which were not submitted by the constabulary’s deadline.
The force’s report states it has no confidence in the management to ‘control the issues occurring, the total failure and lack of due diligence to abide by the conditions on the premises licence’.
Public Health Suffolk has also submitted a representation outlining ‘serious concerns’ and supporting the constabulary’s recommendation to suspend the licence to allow for conditions to be put in place.
Their representation showed the rate of accident and emergency attendance related to alcohol in this part of town was higher than Suffolk’s and more than double that of Ipswich as a whole.
It also goes on to add the premises are located within the bottom 20 per cent of England’s most deprived areas, and is a risk to children attending the nearby school.
It states: “Particularly of note, one of the educational establishments nearby offers key stage 4 provision for children at risk of exclusion or those who require additional targeted intervention to re-engage in learning. They may be at heightened risk of potential harm of alcohol.
“We would argue that the sale of alcohol for long hours, during school commute times, increases the exposure of children and young people to the potential harms of alcohol and associated negative behaviours.”
Members will decide the outcome of this application on Tuesday, October 8.
Their options are to take no further action, modify the conditions, exclude some activities, remove the designated premises supervisor, suspent the licence for three months or less, or revoke it altogether.