Longhoughton venue lodges bid to allow outdoor drinking and entertainment

A licensing sub-committee of Northumberland County Council will meet on Thursday to discuss the application.

Trustees at the Longhoughton centre have applied to vary the licence to amend the starting times of regulated entertainment and the supply of alcohol, and to extend the licensing area to some parts of its grounds.

The premises is currently licensed for the supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment for indoors only.

Trustees want a new licence to allow regulated entertainment between 8am and 11pm six days a week, and from 10am to 11pm on Sundays.

They also want to extend the hours of the alcohol licence. Its current alcohol licence is from 5pm to 11pm Monday to Friday and from 12pm to 11pm at weekends. Trustees want it to be from 10am to 11pm seven days a week.

However, there has been one objection from local residents with concerns about anti-social behaviour and public safety with the potential for broken bottles on the sports pitch.

The objection from Grahame Stark and Jane Charles states: ‘There will be increased potential for crime and disorder and anti-social behaviour.

‘The area is supposed to be a centre for the community and out concern is that the trustees, in their drive to raise funds and the profile of the place, may turn it into a regular events venue, causing a disturbance without consideration to nearby residents.’

There have been no objections from responsible authorities.