Youth hostel wants to sell drink all day

Nov 6 2007 by Liz Hands, The Journal

A YOUTH hostel has put in a bid for a 24-hour drinks licence in an area where families say they are already under siege from hotels, pubs and bars.

People who live in and around Osborne Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, have long argued their lives are made a nightmare by the nightly influx of partygoers.

And now the youth hostel on nearby Jesmond Road is seeking permission to sell alcohol 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

People in the area are fighting the move, which is expected to go before Newcastle City Council next month, though the application is not opposed by the police.

Alan Grant, general secretary of Jesmond Residents’ Association, said the extended licence would increase noise in an area already struggling to cope with the stresses and strains created by the vibrant nightlife.

He said: “We have had so much trouble for the residents in the Osborne Road area. It is a question of the principle of the thing. We feel that 24 hours is just not appropriate.

“It is a highly residential area and while we are not opposed to people having places to drink in the evening – we have suffered from the fallout of bars for years.

“Most pubs are well managed and we acknowledge that, but when the people hit the streets it creates problems for the residents.”

The surprise application from the YHA, formally known as the Youth Hostel Association, is part of a nationwide campaign to get licences for its hostels. Up to a dozen hostels across the North-East may also be involved, according to YHA officials.

An application was made to Newcastle City Council licence chiefs by Derbyshire law firm Flint Bishop on behalf of the YHA.

Under the Licensing Act 2003, properties must make one application for all licensable activities, which include selling and supplying alcohol and promoting entertainment.

YHA officials tried to calm fears of neighbours and said that the application was an attempt to control alcohol, rather than increase drinking.

Paul Fearn, of YHA, said: “What we’ve done is because there has been a change in the licensing law. We want controls over alcohol on the premises. We will be able to refuse to serve people who we believe have had too much.

“In terms of entertainment, we had to apply for an entertainment licence. We are covering all of our bases.”

The YHA application also requests a licence to show films, for indoor sporting events, the performance of dance, live and recorded music, and for late night refreshments.

It is not clear whether the licence means the general public would be able to buy alcohol in the hostel.

Newcastle City Council is expected to meet in December to decide wither or not the YHA should get its 24-hour licence.

A number of objections have been registered and there may be an opportunity for those who feel strongly about the issue to speak to licensing committee members before they have their vote.

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