New North Shields taproom and brewery plans approved for former …

A new brewery and taproom in North Shields has been granted an alcohol licence, despite concerns from local residents.

North Tyneside[1] Council’s licensing committee greenlit an application on Monday from Roblos Ltd for a 60-person capacity watering hole and brewery on Northumberland[2] Street, North Shields[3]. The former garage is now set to receive a £100,000 makeover from Roblos Ltd, including works to the roof and new brewery equipment.

However, several residents made representations to the committee to raise concerns about anti-social behaviour, road safety, and disturbances in the area. Residents also claimed that the area already experiences issues from other licensed establishments nearby.

Resident Dan Nef said: “Our street, especially Northumberland Street, there are people parked there and doubled parked, articulated lorries and forklift trucks are loading and unloading. Mix alcohol with people at work? I think that's bad.

“I don’t think it's a good idea to introduce people to alcohol into the area at this stage. We have all dealt with people urinating, vomiting, and generally being a nuisance on our street. It is a serious concern."

In response to fears of rowdiness and anti-social behaviour, Roblos Ltd had previously agreed to several policies to mitigate against possible problems, including ID checks for those under 25, effective CCTV, and staff training.

Richard Arnot, a lawyer acting on behalf of Roblos Ltd, told the committee: “The sort of crowd that comes to a tap house is not a rowdy crowd. It’s not a 10 pints of Carling or John Smith's crowd, that's not the crowd we get.

“We get people who are prepared to pay a premium because these things are slightly more expensive to produce. It is not the sort of venue where you would ever anticipate having any problems, once in a while there may be issues but we will manage that.”

After deliberation, North Tyneside Council’s licensing committee granted the application allowing for the sale of alcohol between 12pm and 11pm, Sunday to Thursday. In addition, the Low Quay Brewing Co. can sell drinks from noon to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Outdoor seating will be removed by 9pm and no one under 18 will be allowed to stay past 9pm.

References

  1. ^ North Tyneside (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
  2. ^ Northumberland (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
  3. ^ North Shields (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)