Pub licence review will proceed, committee rules (From Watford Observer)

Watford pub licence review will proceed, committee rules

1:22pm Monday 6th September 2010 in News By Michael Pickard

The licence review of a Watford pub will go ahead this afternoon, a council committee has ruled.

Legal representatives for Champions, in St Albans Road, had argued the review should be scrapped as the bar now had a new licence holder.

However, after a two-and-a-half hour debate, Watford Borough Council's sub-licensing committee decided that the review will go ahead.

Police had called for the review after a number of complaints were received about noise and anti-social behaviour at the pub earlier this year.

The licence review notice was handed to former landlord Craig Daniel on July 1.

But on July 9, Watford Borough Council received notice that licence holders, the Healy Group, were to surrender the licence.

Then on July 12, an application to transfer the licence to Boyd Grant with immediate effect was submitted.

Julian Skeens, representing Mr Boyd, argued the review should have been scrapped when the licence was surrendered.

But Sergeant Ian Smith, representing Hertfordshire Constabulary, said Mr Grant was “intimately associated” with Champions before the licence was surrendered and as the same licence was then “resurrected”, the review should take place.

Following two adjournments during which the sub-committee, consisting of Councillors George Derbyshire (chairman), Andrew Mortimer and Keith Crout received extensive advice from the council's legal team, they decided the review would take place.

Jason McKenzie, the council's legal representative at the hearing, said: “The reinstatement of the licence means it has been resurrected and there's nothing in the Licensing Act that suggests that the application for review automatically dies upon a surrender notice being issued.”

Visit the Watford Observer website for full details of the review hearing once a decision has been made later this afternoon.