An Isle of Wight seafront wedding and events venue has been granted a premises licence by County Hall despite noise, nuisance and safety fears.
A licensing subcommittee at County Hall approved an application for Commodores House at 74 High Street in Cowes, subject to a raft of conditions, earlier this week (16 th June).
The latter includes a CCTV system being installed, maintained and in operation at all times that the premises are open to the public, outside signs instructing patrons to respect neighbours, and operating at all times in accordance with a written and approved noise management plan.
A premises licence authorises the use of premises for the sale or supply of alcohol as well as the provision of regulated entertainment and late-night refreshment.
Council officers previously recommended the licence be granted according to the proposal, with any changes to proposed hours or additional conditions the committee deem ‘reasonable and proportionate’ to promote licensing objectives.
Laura Jordan spoke to the committee in favour of the application and on behalf of John Terry, Commodores House’s owner.
She said:
“Every event supports local businesses, local caterers, musicians, florists, photographers, bar staff, cleaners, suppliers and contractors all benefit from the activity generated by events at the venue.
Article continues below this advertisement “Those businesses employ local people and contribute to the local economy. The overwhelming majority of objections are from a very small geographical area, immediately adjacent to the property.
“Many licensed premises throughout Cowes operate successfully in close proximity to residential properties. The existence of neighbouring homes does not in itself make licensed activity inappropriate.”
She said Cowes is not a ‘quiet, rural hamlet’ but a ‘busy high street location’ with restaurants, pubs and commercial premises.
Ms Jordan added that neighbours’ concerns should not be ignored and the application must be considered in the context of its location as well as measures which have been put in place to manage any potential impacts.
Philip Kolvin KC, a representative for Adam Gosling who lives immediately next door to Commodores House in the Old Post Office, said:
“Everybody agrees that the building suffers from poor noise insulation. There’s no air con and therefore people are going to want to open doors.”
During the committee meeting, Mr Kolvin introduced Dani Fiumicelli – described as a ‘very well known’ independent noise expert. Mr Fiumicelli was commissioned by Mr Gosling’s solicitors for a noise impact assessment.
Mr Fiumicelli said:
“(Commodores House) It was designed and built…at the time when it would not have been conceived as…a venue type operation.
“It’s fairly ordinary in the degree of noise insulation provided and just isn’t adequate for the livelier kinds of entertainment that you might find in a licensed premises.
“I’ve looked at the external noise that might be generated and primarily I’ve focused on the passageway between the high street and the main entrance to the property.
“It effectively acts like what we sometimes call an acoustic canyon. The sound reverberates. It echoes and bounces back and forth.”
Mr Fiumicelli added that sound does not dissipate to the same extent as it would do if this was an open space.
This, he said, ‘reinforces the problem’ and increases the overall level.
