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| NEWS | By RICHARD OSLEY |
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Neighbours complain that street brawls keep them awake at night LIFE in noisy Camden Town was described as “unacceptable” by sleep-deprived residents who opposed a bar staying open late. Bosses at Lush bar in Jamestown Road wanted to extend daily closing time from 11pm to 1am. But worried neighbours flooded the Town Hall with warnings that longer hours would cause a late-night disturbance and, at a meeting on Thursday night, councillors turned down the request. Objectors said late-night noise caused by brawling street louts and drunken revellers was out of control. Lush landlord Daniel Berger, who owns a successful bar with the same name in Islington, said the change would bring his venue in line with other Camden Town bars which stay open into the early hours. He told councillors: “At 11 o’clock closing, people simply go elsewhere within a very small radius. It seems a little ludicrous not to allow us to have the same licence that other operators have.” Mr Berger said problems associated with other bars in the area should not be linked to Lush, which operates a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and violence. He added: “It is 100 yards from Camden High Street so, even though it is pictured as being a quiet rural area, this is Camden Town – this is right in the heart of Camden Town. “We are within three minutes’ walk of the Ice Wharf, the largest pub in the entire area. In terms of why I should be allowed a 1am licence, I think the question is more why shouldn’t I be allowed a 1am licence?” But residents said the application was for one late bar too many. Susan Arfin, director of the nearby Glass Building, a residential block of flats, said: “We will be the main sufferers if this was to be granted. “We are regularly kept up late at night with fights and people shouting. The police are regularly called and there are sirens. It really is unacceptable. “If another bar was to be granted a licence I think life would become unbearable.” She added: “This will only be a step backward.” Nicholas Williams, from Jamestown Road Residents Association, said: “Most nights are noisy. Weekends are worse than weekdays. There are people walking up and down the street late at night. “I am generally woken up once a week with some kind of disturbance, railings being bashed, car doors being slammed.” Mr Williams added that Lush was in the middle of a residential area. “No other application could be better placed geographically to cause greater nuisance to a large number of people,” he said. Environment boss Councillor John Thane told Mr Berger: “The fact that you are very close to other places that are open is actually irrelevant. There is a boundary. “You have to make a special case. It’s not enough to say you are close to other bars.” Councillors were evenly divided on whether the application should be rejected, leaving the deciding vote with licensing committee chairwoman Councillor Lucy Anderson, who opposed the application. |
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