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From the
https://www.msn.com by Daniel Esson - Thursday 16 October, 2022.
The Limes in Canterbury loses licence as 'drugs and gang fights
with swords' send shockwaves across the community.
Bar bosses have been stripped of their licence following a string of
violations that have been described as the worst seen in 11 years.
Councillors have revoked the El Group’s ability to run Limes in
Rosemary Lane, Canterbury, after police were called to a string
reports of anti-social behaviour.
Limes in Rosemary Lane, Canterbury.
They subsequently called for the site – which is the city’s only gay
bar – to have its operating conditions examined. Ahead of a meeting
of the city council’s licensing committee this week, Sarah Whittall,
who rents out a house near to the boozer, said: “The problem has
been going on for many years.
“After lockdown, during which things had been quiet, [my tenants
found] noise levels were sometimes hardly tolerable and events
outside often sounded violent and threatening. They decided that
this was no place to raise a child, and moved out.
“At one point they contacted us to say that there seemed to have
been an attempt to break down the front door the night before. We
have not rented out the house since they left last Christmas.”
During the meeting, chairman Cllr Ashley Clark (Con) described the
business’ record of licensing violation as “the worst I’ve come
across in the past 11 years on this committee”. Police logs show
they had also been called to numerous fights, reports of drug
dealing in the pub, antisocial behaviour disturbing neighbours, and
even “a group with swords”.
They said the doors were staffed by unlicensed security staff who
failed to disperse customers properly after closing time, disturbing
neighbours. In drug swab tests officers found traces of cocaine and
heroin in various places around the business, though the now former
licence holder Michael Lee previously claimed the evidence was
“absolute rubbish”.
The bar is owned by EI Group Ltd – which itself is run by Stonegate
Pub Group, the largest tavern company in the UK with more than 4,000
premises. The company leased the premises to Mr Lee, who was the
licence holder and had full operational responsibility for the bar.
However, since the police called for the city council to review the
site’s operating conditions, EI Group stepped in – ending Mr Lee’s
tenancy and lease, and taking over the licence. In a statement given
to the committee, solicitors from Gosschalks, on behalf of EI Group,
said Mr Lee “has vacated the premises and will have nothing to do
with the premises moving forward”.
Limes has remained shut since he was removed from his position at
the end of September. Richard Taylor, who works for Gosschalks, told
members: “What was very clear from the papers was that the review
was brought by the poor management.
“If we are made aware of significant problems we will deal with
them. Until recently, we were not aware.”
Mr Taylor asked the committee to officially revoke Mr Lee’s position
as licence holder and install EI Group as his replacement. Under the
proposal, the company would hold it for a year after the premises
are reopened.
This would give it direct responsibility for Limes Lounge’s
licensed
activities, even if someone else was operating it. However, the
committee was not convinced that responsibility for problems at the
bar ended with Mr Lee.
In their decision statement, members said EI Group should have acted
with greater haste to put an end to the problems. “The sub-committee
was concerned that residents have suffered for a long time from the
poor management of these premises,” they explained.
“It is a well-resourced company; it should have paid more attention
to how the premises were operated.” Mr Taylor insisted EI Group
could turn things around.
He stressed the officials from the firm would liaise with police,
who made the request for revocation, on any future operator of the
premises. In light of this, and the fact Mr Lee had been removed
from his role, PC Jim Gall told councillors the force was no longer
requesting a revocation of the licence.
Nonetheless, the committee decided to strip EI Group of its licence
for the venue. The company will have to find another operator and
leaseholder for the bar, at which point the new operator can apply
for another licence.
The future use of the building is unknown, and will be up to the
future leaseholder.
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