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Friday 21st October, 2005

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By MARK BLUNDEN

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Hearing bars politician from over border

From left, Cllr Laura Edge, residents Rik Lewis and Patrick Cullen, and tenants’ association chairman Tony Moore at Monday’s hearing

A HARINGEY councillor was banned this week from addressing an Islington Town Hall licensing committee hearing considering an application by a Stroud Green pub to stay open later.
Lib Dem councillor Laura Edge was prevented from speaking at Monday’s hearing into the application by the Larrick in Crouch Hill.
She said Haringey residents living in her Crouch Hill ward across the road from the pub would be directly affected if the pub won its bid for longer opening hours.
But Lib Dem committee chairman Councillor Terry Stacy said that allowing Cllr Edge to speak would be a clear breach of council procedure.
Even Islington councillors were not allowed to speak on licence applications in their own ward.
Cllr Stacy told her: “I don’t want us to end up in a magistrates’ court challenge over this process.
“On this occasion we will have to refuse your right to speak. I do apologise about that.”
He added that Islington was one of the few authorities that informed people living outside its boundaries about licence applications. There is no legal obligation to do this.
Cllr Edge said: “It is disappointing that I have not had the chance to speak to the committee but it is a lesson to be learned for the future.”
Objectors to the Larrick application complained about noise, particularly from music and drinkers using mobile phones.
However, they said they were pleased with the “excellent” management of licensees Emily Corbett and Darron Nicholls.
Patrick Cullen, an artist who lives in Mount Pleasant Crescent, said: “We don’t want the night life of the area to increase and carry on later. It means more nuisance, more crime and more petty vandalism.”
The Larrick’s opening hours were extended until 11.30pm from Sunday to Wednesday and to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. Its Thursday closing time will remain at 11pm.
The committee told the licensees to put up signs telling customers to use the toilet before leaving and to make sure they leave by a specific door, thus lessening the noise.

Give power to the people

POST-war, early 1950s Britain was still experiencing food rationing and was a disillusioning place for English gourmands. The war had destroyed the restaurant trade and, with few exceptions, post-war eateries made the worst of a bad situation.
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