Late licence success saves campus bars from closure
FEARS FOR THE future of campus bars have been put to rest this week after the University was granted extended licenses for all its venues at a council hearing on Friday.
More than 70 complaints from local residents had threatened the University’s chance of gaining extend bar licenses, which would have meant a severe reduction in the number of late license events that could be held on campus each year.
The University currently applies for five license extensions a week during term time - vital for late night events on campus. But the rejection of their late license application would have meant they were no longer eligible for as many extensions.
SU President, Micky Armstrong, revealed earlier in the week that this would cause untold damage to the bars, which have been making a loss for the past three years: “I don’t even want to think about it not going through because freshers week would be – well, it just wouldn’t be.”
At the hearing, local residents expressed concern that a permanent extension to bar licenses would mean more late night events on campus. Chair of the Heslington Parish Council, Richard Frost, argued: “In theory, the application would allow an event six nights a week until 2am. Although the University have good intentions, what’s to say if they start making more money they won’t put on more events?”
Andy Summers, the University’s Director of Commercial Services, refuted this point, stressing “students have a limited revenue for the year and to put on more events would inevitably dilute the money that could be spent. To increase events would be financial suicide.”
However, the Heslington residents pushed for strict conditions to be placed on the license applications, ensuring that no more than a certain number of events could take place each term. Heslington Village Trust Chairman, Nick Allen said: “A cap on late night events would ensure sufficient protection for local residents.”
Whilst the University refused to support this proposal, they assured residents that the number of events could be controlled internally. Summers urged: “The University would work on a self-governing policy through various committees and sub-committees… We would limit the number of student events to 150 per year, but we would still like the flexibility to hold the events when we’d like.”
The Council subsequently granted the University extended licenses for all campus bars but allowed local residents a small victory, by placing conditions on Halifax and Wentworth’s licenses, both situated near residential areas. The conditions stipulate that no more than six events can be held each term and outside areas must be vacated by 11.20pm (or 1.30am during freshers week).
However, this has not been met with any opposition from students; Sarah Morgan, a second year Halifax student, argued: “It’s not a bad result at all. Halifax currently only hosts three events per term so the conditions won’t restrict us at all…. I think it’s only fair that the residents are given some sort of concession.”
Since the hearing, the University have confirmed that there are no plans to change campus events and assured us that there is unlikely to be any change from last year.
Ward Councillor for Heslington Ceredic Jamieson-Ball has, however, warned: “If we find problems occur and there’s a significant increase in late night activities then we have an opportunity to review the situation.”
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