Holgate residents in B&B booze licence fury (From York Press)

Holgate residents in B&B booze licence fury

1:30pm Thursday 9th April 2009 in News By Nicola Fifield, Senior reporter

RESIDENTS have bombarded City of York Council with objections to an application from a York guest house owner for an alcohol and music licence.

Julie Stables, who runs St Paul’s Lodge – a six-bedroom bed and breakfast in Holgate Road – has applied for a licence to sell alcohol to guests 24 hours a day and play live and recorded music until 11pm.

The licence would also allow her to sell alcohol to members of the public attending pre-booked functions at the guest house – but sales would be restricted to between 10am and midnight from Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 11pm on Sundays.

Members of the council’s licensing committee, which meets today to decide whether to grant the licence, have received 21 letters of objection from residents in nearby streets.

These residents fear that granting the licence would lead to a rise in antisocial behaviour, traffic, vandalism, noise, litter and parking problems.

Rob Buckton, of St Paul’s Square, wrote: “There are several licensed premises in the area already and they already generate disturbance.

“Holgate Road is a major route out of the city centre. If smokers are at the front of the hotel, it is likely that they may attract late night revellers returning home after drinking in the city.

“If they are at the rear of the hotel, they are likely to generate considerable noise.

“The potential increase in traffic is also a great concern as children play in the square and run in and out of the local houses. The increase in traffic will be a real danger to these children.”

But Mrs Stables said she wanted to reassure local residents that this would not be the case.

She said: “This guest house is my home as well and who wants to invite antisocial behaviour into their own home?

“We have operated this establishment with temporary event notices for a couple of years now and we have never had any issues with antisocial behaviour.

“The type of functions we hold are things like dominoes tournaments and if we were to get this licence we could do things like weddings, christenings and funerals as well. As for traffic and parking, people who come for a drink don’t tend to come in a car, but if they do I’ve got a huge private car park at the back.”