Despite COVID-19 fears and Police objections, a ‘nuisance’ restaurant in Ryde has been given a half-hour extension to its licence.
The owner of Harbour House, a restaurant and cocktail bar on the Esplanade in Ryde, Leigh Hyatt, submitted an application asking for a new licence to sell alcohol and late-night refreshments, playing recorded music until 01:00 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
PC Jason Pierce asked the Isle of Wight Council’s licensing committee if it ‘really wanted to be supporting the extension of alcohol sales and music into the early hours during the second wave of the current pandemic’ as late-night drinking and COVID-19 ‘are never a match made in heaven’.
He said:
“With approving this application you get increased intoxication and everything that comes with it – later night drinking, violence, crime, disorder and the inevitability of the likelihood of virus spreading.
“The timing of this application is poor. At a time when everyone is trying to slow down the factors that accelerate the virus, Harbour House is seeking to expand its hours at the wrong end of the day.”
Strong representations from nearby residents and the Police meant Ms Hyatt’s team brought the time back to midnight with more conditions added, in an attempt to make it seem more agreeable.
Concerns raised include litter outside of the premises, loud music and the ‘drunken debauchery’ of patrons, including vandalism.
On behalf of a group of residents, one woman spoke of the ‘intolerable’ and ‘dreadful’ problems she has faced from the Harbour House. She told a meeting of the council’s licensing sub-committee:
“I couldn’t sit in my garden, I couldn’t open the windows during that hot spell we had. It was a thorough nuisance.
“What was worse than the music was the screaming, screeching and the shouting — the music can be reduced but its the crowd.
“There seems to be a lack of responsibility from the owners and a lack of trust going forward.”
this place is a covid hotspot with all the don’t give a sheet ryde drinkers falling and dribbling over each other and no covid sense at all. Witnessed it several times during that last lock down, bending the rules till they nearly snapped. Avoid at all costs
Just trying to find the stories about all the covid cases related to the venue, could you link me Tim?
Doesn’t really matter now after Boris’s latest – all to shut at 10pm
Very true but it also shows the council’s attitude to our local police doesn’t it
Couldn’t agree more
No use now as 10pm Curfew!!!!
“despite MOANING neighbours complaints” Really IE? Seriously? seriously biased headline or at the very least incompetent editing.
Thought exactly the same.
I agree, and are the police moaners as well or is the heading totally WRONG !!!
” Moaning ” whatever ones opinion of this situation is ” Moaning” sounds very biased for headline news .
Typical, all the council are interested in is getting the money for licences. They don’t give a damn about people who live around these badly run pubs. After all if you can get away with leaving a dog locked up in the upstairs of a pub, while the landlords are away, or shouting and talking outside of YOUR pub at 2.30am on a sunday. Ridiculous way to run a business. And when your phoning them and asking to keep the noise down, your told by the, so called landlady, “To make me be quiet” Yes The Oh so well run Star Inn again. I’m glad Boris has brought in the new measures, but it doesn’t go far enough. Close them completely. I for one will be reporting any rule breakers now, sick and tired of people saying, oh it’s all made up, government conspiracy blah blah blah, grow up.
Totally agree … it’s all about money.
It wasn’t so many years ago that licensing hours were 10.30 to 2.30 approx Monday thru Saturday and 6 – 11 in the evenings … Sunday less hours. Pubs made enough money for loads of them to stay open then, but all you hear now is the bleating about having to close at 10 pm, even though they have been open all day.
This is the chance to reign back in licensing hours which ultimately will save money for the police, NHS etc. who won’t have to attend punch ups, drunks sprawled across the streets and druggies making a nuisance of themselves.
Isn’t it outside seating only at the moment at Harbour House? Autumn/winter should scare a few away
Great news 🙂
Y is people moaning about the extension good on them let people enjoy there selfs
I used to live in Monkton Street, when the night club over the LA Bowel was open, we had nothing but trouble in the early hours of Saturday And Sunday mornings, when people were going home, Noise, Car wing mirrors damaged etc; we don’t need another drinking den in Ryde, we have enough .
Moaning !!! What a prejudiced headline. I was abused three times walking my dog past this place. How would you like it island echo?
I thought it was against the law to sell alcohol to someone that is or appeared to be drunk. Yet ALL the licensed premises are selling more drinks to already intoxicated people . Why is that ?