An application to extend the opening hours of Harbour House restaurant on Ryde Esplanade has met with vehement opposition from concerned neighbours.
Currently, the venue closes at 23:00. However, the owners of Harbour House are seeking to extend the licence for serving alcohol to 01:00 in the morning and to play recorded music until 01:30.
On 31st July last year, Harbour House was granted a temporary licence for late opening, which neighbours claim caused considerable noise disturbance. When a nearby resident asked the restaurant to turn the music down, they apparently received the reply that Harbour House had a license and therefore there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop them.
Sarah Medley, who lives opposite Harbour House says:
“Last summer, they had a temporary late licence. I live around 500m away, and my windows were visibly shaking as the volume of music was so loud. The glass and rubbish in the surrounding area the following morning was hazardous to local animals and children, as they hadn’t cleaned up after their customers. Clearly, this trial run proved they are not responsible to have a late licence.
“They lack respect for their neighbours, playing their music ridiculously loud when they are open, and they continually leave rubbish outside their place which ends up in the sea or broken glass gets strewn across the public footpath outside. We’ve witnessed them sweeping cigarette butts into the sea, dumping food waste into the sea, and they don’t even seem to have a hygiene rating. One day, I picked over 100 plastic cups out of Ryde harbour that were disregarded by their customers.
Another resident claims:
“Large groups of rowdy youths regularly gather to drink there. Piles of rubbish from this business gather on the esplanade, along with plastic cups blowing around and floating in the harbour. This is unacceptable in a family area. It would seem the owners of this establishment are not able to operate their business in a professional and courteous manner.
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One more neighbour says:
“Having been an early morning dog walker along the front, I have noted that empty glasses and bottles are left overnight, resulting in broken glass across the promenade. If the operators find it difficult to clear-up after a 23.00 finish, I expect it could be even worse if allowed to run through to 1-1.30.
The owner of Harbour House, Karl Harding, has hit back at objections to his application for an extension of licencing hours. He has told Island Echo:
“Harbour House enhances the local area, creates jobs and attracts tourists. We employ 10 people in our peak period plus part time staff.
“Ryde is a tourist town, which lives from tourism. We give tourists and local people what they want. You would expect things to be busy in the middle of summer. Much of the rest of Ryde is derelict… look at the ice rink and the empty properties on George Street.
“Our restaurant is not in a residential area. The nearest properties on the Strand are 150 metres away. I would compare our location with those in Union Street which have late licences and people living in the flats above.
“We are a classy venue. Our customers are in the age range of 18 to 80. I’ve never had a complaint drawn to my attention and my door staff tell me we are the easiest venue to work at in Ryde.”
Local residents have until 1st March to object to the proposed extension to Harbour House opening hours. The Council Licencing Committee will meet to consider the application the following day. Anyone wishing to comment to the Council on the extension of licencing hours for Harbour House may do so here.
I don’t believe this for one minute. They simply don’t have enough sound system to make windows ‘visibly rattle’!! Sounds like another nimby to me…
It’s a fantastic venue, we need more investment into stuff like this.
If you think it’s not that bad, you move in next door to it ☹️☹️
Are the neighbours on crack?
Bring back ‘The Seafood Cabin’ that was a legendary place and was loved by both loyal locals and tourists. The council took that away just before Harbour House opened up coincidentally also selling seafood so don’t bank on them refusing this license, as they seem to want rowdy and not traditional. and show no favour towards what local Islanders want. This island is being decimated by shameful council decisions!
It’s the same old moaners on the island ruining it for the youngsters!
get a grip and let people enjoy themselves you curtain twitchers 😉
Yes fair enough, but why leave such a horrible mess! why not be responsible. You go on about tourists, what tourist would want to walk over broken glass and rubbish.
Why doesn’t the owner offer to keep the music noise at a reasonable level instead of making defensive comments? He might not recognise that he has neighbours but he certainly does.
Sadly, the manager is aggressive and rude when polite requests are made. Employing ten part timers is his only retort. My neighbours and I have been repeatedly told to move.
This karl sound’s like a selfish arse
I bet the owner doesn’t live nearby? I agree as long as it’s not 1.30am the loud music, as some people might have to work shifts the next day. I’m not a party pooper but I wouldn’t want to live near by
Over the summer, we could hear music coming from Ryde. Can’t say who it was from but I would point out we live in Wootton.
I know I live in Freshwater and could also hear music coming from Ryde
Chances are the music was coming from the Hut at Totland. Another establishment that has grown out of all proportion so locals are reluctant to walk past it at night owing to the drunken “diners” who sprawl all across the promenade.
It sounds like you are scared of your own shadow.
Jeesz…All the people moaning on here. They would rather turn Ryde into another island ghost town.
Live and let live.
Karl Harding – you will no doubt have music played loudly from a car outside your home by these aggrieved locals, on a nightly basis until you get the hint.
There appear to be plenty of residents that aren’t too keen on you disrupting their enjoyment – take the hint and turn it down.
The solution is simple, the locals should club together and buy massive sound system , put it on a lorry and park as near as possible to the venue and play Barry Manilow’s Greatest Hits on a repeating playlist.
Simples
I would recommend Wagner’s operas, or perhaps Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle”.
Karl Harding, the owner: ‘We are a classy venue’. Your venue, Karl, is many things but I’m really not sure that classy is one of them!
Isn’t this the same place that previously had complaints about comments made by some of their clientele standing drinking outside at people walking past at night?
The special licence given last year gave HH an opportunity to have a raised platform with a DJ. The ‘music’ (it was just bass really) went on for more than 13 hours. It was impossible to escape it. I measured decibels in excess of 80 for most of the day and I know that officials measured it far beyond acceptable levels in the early hours of the morning. Indeed, windows and wooden floors reverberated. Windows couldn’t be opened, television couldn’t be watched; I had not realised how tortuous and distressing constant noise can affect well being. Frankly, I was driven mad. One lady, in her 80’s approached HH in her nightdress in the early hours.
Carl Harding I remember you from school I’m surprised you haven’t got the rainbow flags flying outside your establishment