The Ivy House (Stuart Road) license application

[BeckhamPye]

The Ivy House (Stuart Road) license application was submitted approximately one week ago: http://app.southwark.gov.uk/licensing/LicPremisesAppliedDetails.asp?systemkey=841241

I?m very surprised that the steering group, who are so active on Facebook and Twitter, haven?t let the ?community? know that the application has been submitted. There isn?t a single ?tweet? or ?update? on the topic; why so hush, hush? Surely it?s better to be transparent with the local community about such an application? The opening hours should fit in with the community?s wishes, particularly those who live within a close distance to the pub. I feel that this is of paramount importance to the future success of the business.

Outside of the usual pub opening hours, the group have asked for a license to serve drinks until midnight on a Friday and 1am on a Saturday. My feeling is that midnight is acceptable on a Friday and Saturday but considering the serious noise issues of the past and the close proximity of local residence to the pub (in front, to both sides and the back), that 1am is pushing it slightly. A friend of mine and her family used to live next door to the pub but had to move because of the noise from late night parties and ?lock ins? after 11:00pm.

Interesting, they?ve also requested a ?Late Night Refreshment? license from 11.00pm -11:30pm Mon ? Thurs, 12:00am ? 12.30am on a Friday and 1.00am ? 1.30am on a Saturday. It's my understanding that this permits the pub to sell food during this time to be taken off the premises for consumption. Isn?t this going to encourage people to hang around a bit longer after closing? Surely it delays people leaving? I wouldn?t have thought this was particularly good news for the people who live within close proximity of the pub, particularly on a week night.

Personally, I?m delighted that the pub is going to reopen, I love real ale and I hear they?re going to serve Kraft Beet. I just hope that the steering group have consulted the local residence about their license application and asked them how they feel about the extended hours. And also how they intend to control the noise later on, ultimately this has been the main problem with The Ivy House in the past, particularly as there are so many families living nearby who are understandably sensitive to noise.

The closing date to raise any concerns to the Council is July 01 2013.

[Cyclemonkey]

It is a business not a community centre so it won't be able to fit in with all the Communities wishes - however i'm sure as a responsible pub they will be sensitive to the local community - however i'm sure there has been a pub there longer than many residents.

i doubt the application was deliberately "hushed up" they are public documents available on the council website and in the local press as well as posted in a promient place on the premises in question.

I sympathise with those worried about noise but midnight/1am is not late at all for a Friday/Saturday and pretty much essential if they want to have gigs - please do not strangle this place before it has had chance to prove itself out of some kind of mis placed nimby ism.

[DulwichFox]

A late licence may well impact on their outgoings..

They may well be required to install Security on the door.

I understand some outlets pay ?400.00 per night.

I would of thought a lincence should of been in place before people were asked to invest. ??

Foxy

[BrandNewGuy]

But why would they not get a licence? The previous pub didn't shut because of objections from local residents... The terms of the licence might be amended, but that's a different matter.

[honeybee79]

Hi - the steering group notified the shareholders by email that the application went in. We will also be updating the FB page and twitter at the end of the week. There is nothing "hush, hush" about it - we have just been busy getting the building ready for re-opening, recruiting a manager, dealing with the end of the share issue and doing our day jobs! The application has been published on Southwark's website in the usual way and has been displayed outside the pub.

We will, of course, be consulting with the community. We, and most of our shareholders, live in the immediate vicinity of the pub and have no interest in disrupting our neighbourhood. Our licence application was modelled largely on the licensing hours the pub had under Nick last year (with no complaints from residents), and the reason for asking for a 12am finish was to enable a reasonable drinking-up time and prevent the noise issue of everyone being kicked out at 11.15 - this is a strategy that works well for many other local pubs.

And no, we weren't required to have a licence in place before launching our community share issue!

[DJKillaQueen]

Residents have the option to object anyway (if they know about the application). A licence til Midnight is usual for licenced premises next to residential property and off high street. And it makes sense to say call last orders at 11 and let people drift off slowly rather than turfing everyone out at once.

But at present, the building is not adaquately soundproofed either to justify music and bands playing til 1am on Saturdays, which is the only part of the licence that I can see local residents having a problem with.

[h1981]

The most recent soundproofing problems with the Ivy House were in 2010 when the then management did not apparently manage the issue of people being in the outside areas front and back very well late at night and on some occasions into the early hours. They had reinforced the soundproofing, but this effort was negated by not keeping an eye on other sound sources. The most recent licensees, as honeybee79 stated, had no complaints from local residents re noise. This was due in part to the recent soundproofing, but also to the excellent late hours management of outside drinking/smoking that Nick and his team put in place.

Incidentally the current soundproofing, recently removed to enable asbestos removal work at the back of the stage, is to be re-installed double-fold. Extra soundproofing options for the roof are also being explored.

The 1am Saturday license would not necessarily be invoked every Saturday, only when an event warrants it.

[DJKillaQueen]

That all sounds reasonable. I can see it from both sides. Residents don't want to be subjected to regular excessive noise, and at the same time a business needs to be able to function reasonably.

[BeckhamPye]

Very interesting to hear from the steering group - thank you for your comments.

FYI, I walked past the pub earlier today and there is no detail outside the pub about the license application. Aren't you legal entitled to have a notice up? Putting legal reasons to one side, it might be a good idea to put one up as it notifies the older generations who live nearby who might not use the internet/social media, etc...

Also, what is the deal with the 'Late Night Refreshment' license? Are you not concerned that operating as a take away between the hours of 11:00pm and 11:30pm, Monday to Thursday, is going to delay people leaving and create additional noise later than necessary? I think local residents will be quite sensitive about noise mid-week don't you?

Also, CycleChumpy, are there really going to be gigs going on until 1am? Is that really feasible in such a residential area? My daughter is going to see Rihanna in Twickenham tomorrow night and they have to pull the plug at 10.30pm so local residents aren't disturbed, I know it's on a much larger scale but still, 1am?

[ciaranm]

No you're right BeckhamPye, Rhianna in an open air gig to 80,000 people is hugely relevant to the planning application of a pub in Nunhead. Let me know when they take the roof off the Ivy House, try to find parking for 10,000 cars and book Rhianna won't you? Still it's a slippery slope egh?

[h1981]

BeckhamPye Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Very interesting to hear from the steering group -

> thank you for your comments.

>

> FYI, I walked past the pub earlier today and there

> is no detail outside the pub about the license

> application. Aren't you legal entitled to have a

> notice up? Putting legal reasons to one side, it

> might be a good idea to put one up as it notifies

> the older generations who live nearby who might

> not use the internet/social media, etc...

>

It is there - on the doors.

[DJKillaQueen]

That's a bit insensitive Ciaranm. The Ivy House backs onto people's houses so asking about 1am finishes at weekends is a valid question.

'Late Night Refreshment' on a licence BP is necessary for the serving of any food. I don't think the Ivy House is going to be anything like a takeaway to be fair. It is seeking to operate as many pubs do in the area by offering a menu for those looking to have a nice meal out in a pub. Most pubs locally seem to stop selling food around the 9-10pm mark, because that's often when diners cease to be ordering food in any kind of numbers.

[StraferJack]

Ciaranm is my new jam

[Jeremy]

Cyclemonkey Wrote:

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> I sympathise with those worried about noise but

> midnight/1am is not late at all for a

> Friday/Saturday and pretty much essential if they

> want to have gigs

Not true at all - no reason why a three or four band bill can't finish at around 11pm. I don't think I've ever been to a gig which went on until anything like 1am (except for maybe NYE).

[buggie]

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ciaranm is my new jam

Mine too :-)

[DJKillaQueen]

The Waverley Arms has a licence til 1am on both Fri and Sat night. So it's not really an out of the ordinary application for the Ivy House to make.

[FredCasa]

We are shareholders and did not receive an email about the licence application. As a community pub the Ivy House needs to be (and I'm sure wants to be) really sensitive to the concerns of the people in the neighbourhood, especially about noise late at night. Why don't the steering group meet up with the people who are most likely to be affected?

[FredCasa]

Sorry - just read the Newsletter. It's in there. But you still meet up.

[h1981]

FredCasa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> We are shareholders and did not receive an email

> about the licence application. As a community pub

> the Ivy House needs to be (and I'm sure wants to

> be) really sensitive to the concerns of the people

> in the neighbourhood, especially about noise late

> at night. Why don't the steering group meet up

> with the people who are most likely to be

> affected?

Hi FredCasa.

I'm an Ivy House steering group person. Thanks for investing in the pub. Please do drop us a line through the contact email address on the front page of the website - http://www.ivyhousenunhead.com/.

Thanks

Hugo

[Cyclemonkey]

I'm an Ivy House shareholder and i haven't recived any notification or a newsletter! :(

[h1981]

Hi Cyclemonkey. One newsletter went out last week which you should have got, and another one is imminent. Please private message me your email address and I'll get to the bottom of why you did not receive the first newsletter - or drop us a line through the website - thanks!

[BeckhamPye]

The application for opening hours is a bit odd:

Monday 09:00 to 00:00

Tuesday 09:00 to 00:00

Wednesday 09:00 to 00:00

Thursday 09:00 to 00:00

Friday 09:00 to 01:00

Saturday 09:00 to 02:00

Sunday 09:00 to 23:30

23:30 on a Sunday and midnight Monday - Thursday??

Again, doesn't this just delay people leaving? Aren't you risking causing noise on a 'school night' until after midnight rather than the usual 11:20pm? This might desrupt your "community".

[h1981]

That's the old one - not ours! Have to get to work now, but will check out what's going on asap!

[Mugglesworth]

Yes, the following is from Newsletter #1 dated 7 June:

Licensing: we have submitted our Premises Licence application to Southwark Council, and await further discussions with them

This doesn't go into fine detail but, as the hours are in line with the old Ivy House licence and the existing Waverley Arms one (neither of which resulted in late night noise complaints), could we not just use a bit of sense here and not seek to micro-manage every aspect of the steering group's work? If you don't feel that you can live with that, here's a suggestion for your next post...

"Dance performance at 9am on a Wednesday? Have they gone raving mad???"

[Peckhamrye]

Well said Mugglesworth - can't believe how much flack the Ivy House people are getting when they are doing everything they can to keep people informed. Anyone would think some people don't want it to succeed....