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Eastbourne restaurant not allowed to put on jazz evening
A RESTAURANT owner who was hoping to hold a jazz evening has been refused permission by the council.
Chris Showell, who runs Will's Restaurant Bar in Hyde Gardens with his wife Bo, needed to apply to Eastbourne Borough Council for a temporary events licence ten working days before his event which was due to be held on September 3.
Chris filled out the forms and paid the council 21 for the licence but because he miscalculated the working days, due to the Bank Holiday Monday, the council has said he is not allowed to hold the event.
Chris said, "It is nonsensical.
"The council is not helping us as a small business and I feel there is no common sense being used here."
Chris said the council rules are there to protect against evening events causing a nuisance but explained the only reason Eastbourne Borough Council had refused the licence was because he had only given nine days' notice.
"This is not going to cause a nuisance," said Chris.
"There will be up to twenty middle-aged and older people enjoying a three-course meal and some jazz music. They will all be gone by 11.30pm at the latest - it is a very low key event.
"The silly thing is, we actually have a licence to serve alcohol until 12.30am and can play disco music.
"It is only because we are having a jazz singer that we need to apply for this licence."
Chris and Bo will have to cancel the singer and refund the deposits the customers have paid for their tickets.
He added, "There will be disappointment among our customers who had bought tickets and it all seems so unnecessary."
A spokesperson from Eastbourne Borough Council said, "The issuing of licences by the Council is bound by the Licensing Act 2003, which prescribes the timescales within which an applicant must submit a licensing application.
"In relation to temporary event notices, the law requires that a minimum of ten working days notice is required for the application to be considered valid.
"Unfortunately, the applicant did not submit his application in time to meet the minimum requirements."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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