A beachside cafe on an Isle of Wight seafront has been met by a wall of opposition over its plans to start selling alcohol.
The Lazy Wave Cafe on Shanklin Esplanade asked the Isle of Wight Council for permission to have a licence, which would allow it to serve alcoholic drinks from 10am to 9pm seven days a week.
Twelve neighbours have objected to the application as they say it will cause an increase in noise disturbance and the potential for anti-social behaviour.
The Isle of Wight Council’s licensing sub-committee will meet next week (August 18) to determine whether the alcohol licence is something the Lazy Wave Cafe should hold.
One resident said the café was at the ‘quiet’ end of Shanklin Esplanade but if the licence was agreed it was bound to increase noise and general nuisance levels.
Another said the additional opening hours would be ‘intolerable and unacceptable’ and they ‘did not wish to have their idyllic retirement home interrupted by unnecessary change and disturbances’.
Responding to the objections, the applicant, Rae Rawlins, told council officers it was ‘disappointing’ some may feel that way but understood concerns and was always mindful of potential disturbance to residents.
She said they would not be a bar or pub solely selling alcohol but are looking to sell drinks to people on a nice day.
Ninety per cent of the time, Mrs Rawlins said, the café would not be open until 9pm as it relies heavily on the weather and only asks to stay open late to cover good summer evenings or events.
Environmental health officers said they were unaware of any formal nuisance complaints made about the café since Mrs Rawlins took over.
The officers also said while the café is near residential properties, the hours of activity proposed were considered reasonable and they had ‘no pressing concerns’ the licence would undermine the prevention of public nuisance or safety.
Conditions have been agreed with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, should the licence be granted, to reduce the risk of public nuisance, which includes installing CCTV, staff training, enforcing a Challenge 25 policy and serving drinks in paper, plastic or polycarbonate containers.
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