I missed this evening's Council meeting. In the words of Harry Hill, "What are the chances of that happening?"
Well, thanks to one lovely listener, I have been informed that the Bust Da Rhyme exclusive bar application has been turned down. I'll await further confirmation, but if this is the case then this shows the strength of community in Plumsteadshire.
Well done to all the good people of the shire. What a treat.
However, let's not rest on our laurels though. We still want The Ship to set sail once more. Maybe the applicant will take note of local opinion and go with supply and demand? Or maybe they will appeal? Or maybe they will try and push Busta through the back door? Let us not rest on our laurels.
14 comments:
It's not as simple as that, I'm afraid.
According to the Licensing Section, the applicant's agent had contacted them earlier today to withdraw two of the conditions to the licence volunteered by the applicant (see Section 2.3 of the Report):
- Only members shall be admitted to the premises.
- No person shall be admitted to membershaip of the premises without a period of at least 48 hours between application for and admission to membership.
The agent confirmed this (but see below).
Licensing Sub-committee C immediately withdrew to consider this change to the application.
Upon its return (quite some time later), the Chairman said that they had needed to ask: (i)the police representative whether the police opinion of the original application would have differed had the 48-hour notice for membership not been included, and (ii) the Licensing Section Officer whether the deletion of the 48-hour notice represented a substantial change to the application. The answer to both questions was, "yes". The Licensing Committee then rejected the application as it now stood, as it had changed substantially from that originally submitted.
Busta's agent tried to woo both the committee and the local residents by saying (i) that membership would still be required (only the 48-hour requirment had been dropped); (ii)membership could be obtained instantly, thus making Busta's facilities immediately available to the public "including the local community"; (iii) he had never intended that there be a 48-hour notice period - this had been the suggestion of a man in the Licensing Section who had advised that the application was more likely to succeed if this condition was included.
The Chairman repeated the reasons for rejection of the application and advised the agent that he could appeal the decision or re-apply for a licence.
I have no doubts that Busta will re-apply.
oh dear - I hope they don't get this through just by wearying us all down. They are pretty well bound to re-apply. We HAVE to get the Planning department to act on these blocked up windows! The rather inept department say they are not bothered because the developers told them it was a temporary measure to protect their equipment! hmm funny they didn't block ALL the windows then! Odd, too, that they have nicely skim-coated the temporary breeze-blocks. The Planning department have failed to reply to two letters and a phone call about this over a month. What a bunch! Please bombard them . . .
I see it's now also been painted a nice magnolia...Emailing would be a start...
planningapps@greenwich.gov.uk
The missus and I have noticed a marked increase in activity over the last couple of days when walking past the Busta, with work visibly going on inside and out. Wonder if this is provocatively intended to coincide with the application hearing?
How about we all chip in to buy the place as a Plumstead Co-Operative, and make it into the often suggested Gastropub/Cake Shop/Deli/Cafe that it deserves to be?
D.
piece covering the story in the mercury...
http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/southlondonpress/greenwich/tm_headline=200-letters-object-to-nightclub%26method=full%26objectid=18027296%26siteid=50100-name_page.html/
It was all a bit of a mystery last night ................ I too am not convinced that we are really any further forward. It was encouraging though the number of people who turned up. Next time - and unfortunately I am convinved there will be a next time, perhaps we can get even more of us out there!!
And there was me, about to jump in with a "Hoorah!" and then a "Power to the People!", and when I clicked on the comments link, the full weight of the disappointing news...
Keep your guard up, people.
well done people of Plumstead. I am now 6 days from moving to the Common - Hurrah! Am very much looking forward to winning the Busta-war and establishing a decent pub/bar/restaurant - otherwise it will be all round to ours for organice Sausage and caramelised onion Mash and a nice chilled Sancerre. Perhaps a quicker way to pay off the mortgage would be to turn our dining room into a bijou dining room - no bricked up windows or poles to dance around sadly...!!
placing bottle of sancerre in the fridge, and really looking forward to caramelised onion mash............. welcome to the area!!
OMG the planning dept defy ones worst fears. They haven't replied to my letters apparently cos their "systems are down"! They "hadn't noticed" the anomalies in the blocking up of windows "for security" and so far have taken no action. Get on to them now and put pressure on them to actually DO SOMETHING!
can we all arrange a meeting about this? learn faces and names and join together to act in an organised way? i like the idea of organising a co-operative, seriously! could the church hall be book to meet and organise better than the last time. the action was great thus far, and can be better i think if we can organise and unite.
The Planning Department HAS contacted Busta about the bricked-up windows - and the conversion from pub to nightclub - as both require planning consent (see my post on "What does the Planning Department do?")
NEWS FLASH:
"Bust da Rhyme" is applying for a license with earlier hours. Midnight weekdays and 1am weekends and bank holidays. Nearly pub hours. BUT they are still opening as a club. If anyone is STILL opposed to this then representations need to be made IN THE ACCEPTED WAY by 7 Dec.
Have a look on the outside of the building for the blue poster displaying the application, or see the following: http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/A6358FDA-CBA9-4074-92B6-97600589BC1A/0/6thNovember2006.pdf
IF people are still opposed to this, then it would be great to be organised and work together: to meet up and make sure that everyone writes/petitions in the accepted way.
weloveplumstead@ntlworld.com
For your information…
Received a letter from the committee Co-ordinator, Tricia Covington...
another meeting at the Town Hall, Wellington Street, Woolwich.
Meeting date is 11th January 2007 at 6.30pm
Where matters expected to be considered by the Sub- Committee is the
Bust da Rhymes Exclusive Bar and Lounge.
From the letter...
“This notification is to inform you, at an early stage, of the possibility that a matter in which you have shown an interest may be appearing on the agenda for the above meeting. I should point out that some of the issues listed may not be included for reasons beyond our control. If the finalised agenda includes the item(s) relevant to you a copy of the report will be sent to you along with an invitation to attend the meeting and address the Sub Committee should you wish to do so.
If you have not received an invitation the week before the Committee meeting please contact these offices at the number at the top of this letter. 020 8921 5133”
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