PLANS for a new champagne bar in Greenwich town centre have gone flat after the council kicked out a licensing application.
The Black Vanilla Champagne Bar & Gelateria was hoping to open in College Approach in December but its future is now in doubt unless the owners can successfully appeal against the decision.
Councillors on a licensing committee rejected the application because their “saturation policy” for Greenwich town centre requires any new premises license applicants to demonstrate that they “will not add to the cumulative impact experienced.”
Spokesman for Black Vanilla, Adam Brown, said: “We strongly disagree with the Council’s stance on this matter. We know there is a demand locally for more sophisticated drinking venues where the attraction is the quality rather than the quantity of what is consumed. Given that, we are convinced that Black Vanilla can only have the most positive influence on the area.
“We are shocked to find ourselves in this position after the council granted us permission to change the building’s usage and the Police and Fire authorities declared their support to our plans to bring something unique to Greenwich.
“We take responsible drinking very seriously, and have agreed a list of conditions and safeguards with the Police to this effect. We are confident we have grounds for a successful appeal.”
Family-run Black Vanilla, who also run a gelateria and bakery in Blackheath, planned to offer “champagne teas” and “ice cream cocktails” at the new business. While appealing against the decision, they are intending to operate solely as a gelateria at 5 College Approach and have launched an online petition to gather support.
Well, The Cricketers has a booze licence, but surely hasn’t used it since it became Frank’s Fake Chip Shop, so we’re down one drinking outlet.
God I hate that chip shop.
The Black Vanilla plan actually sounds pretty cool and the gelato from their place in Blackheath is lovely. Can’t help but sympathise with their enitrely reasonable view that they would offer something totally different to existing licensed premises in Greenwich. Just assessing it as a pure numbers game is totally unhelpful.
The local ward councillors David Grant and Maureen O’Mara spoke in opposition to the application.
http://committees.greenwich.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=17741
Anyone who lives near the town centre, and walks through it between 10.30 and 11 would agree that there is saturation as far as alcohol is concerned. Compared to a few years ago, there are often masses of drunk, aggressive people outside Wetherspoons, the Mexican and Turkish restaurants at the bottom of Creek Road, and nowadays Bar Du Musee. I can understand that new applicants will explain that they’re up-market and won’t contribute to the problem… but their existing premises work without alcohol licence, don’t they?
I know the councillors also turned down an application to build a nightclub next to St Alfege on Wednesday, for a variety of reasons, including the alcohol saturation policy. I applaud them for it.
I don’t understand how the council can grant an alcohol licence to Nando’s a big chain, and not support a family business. I have been to their shop in Blackheath and it is lovely. Nando’s will attract teenagers and people in their 20s that abuse alcohol (as demonstated by mess that it is Greenwich town centre on a weekend evening). A champangne bar and gelataria would attact a completely different demographic – one which I wish Greenwich would aim for, rather than going downmarket with 3 or 4 Mexican restaurants and now a Nando’s.
For once I have to agree with Greenwich Council. The council’s published licensing policy clearly states at para 9.5:
“The effect of the saturation policy is that Greenwich Council will refuse applications for a new premises licences or club premises certificates, or material variation of an existing licence or certificate, whenever it receives relevant representations unless an applicant can demonstrate why the grant or variation involved will not add to the cumulative impact experienced. The impact can be expected to be different for premises with different styles and characteristics.”
Black Vanilla’s application completely completely failed to address the point. At the adjourned hearing the licensing sub-committee invited Black Vanilla’s representative to address the point, but (according to the minutes) he only stated that he had discussed the application with police, would participate in PubWatch as well as offering to close at 11.00pm.
No doubt Black Vanilla are nice people, but they seem to have a limited grasp of the responsibilities involved in selling alcohol. They proposed selling alcohol up until the time that the premises closed – anybody with any grasp of the drinks trade allows 30mins between last service and closing the premises.
I understand Steve’s and Paul Ripley’s points but we all aware of premises in Greenwich that were once up-market / sophisticated or whatever, but are now dives. There is simply no practical way that a licensing authority can grant a license on the basis of a better kind of punter.