In the Summer Time ….

As Summer appears to have rung the doorbell, invited itself in and settled down for a long weekend, my mind begins to fill with images of sitting in beer gardens, relaxing with a pint (or maybe even a Pimms if I’m feeling racy), with nothing but the roar of the nearby A40 and the thought of a sweaty tube journey home to break the illusion of paradise.

The sunshine can also be paradise for the trade of a licensed premises. If you have a usable outside area, takings can soar in line with the mercury. Unfortunately paradise can be lost sooner than you can say ‘Local Council Environmental Protection Enforcement Team’ as the record profits evaporate on receipt of either a review application or noise abatement notice resulting from disturbance being caused to local residents from music escaping from open windows, the fumes of barbeques,  general jollity and blocked pavements.

Whilst some increased disturbance to local residents is sometimes unavoidable, save for closing your premises, there are ways in which the above risk can be minimised. These include:

· ensuring that public pavements do not become blocked by the careful citing of furniture such as plant pots and rope linked bollards;

· erecting signage asking patrons to keep noise to a minimum;

· if you have air conditioning, keeping windows closed when music is playing;

· regular patrols of any outside areas by members of staff;

· informing local residents if you plan to have an event such a barbeque;

· enticing local residents into your premises by offering them free food; and

· providing your phone number to local residents so they phone you, NOT the Environmental Health if they are being disturbed.

The above steps maybe tortuous but you will only have to survive a few hot weeks before the temperatures drop and it’s back to business as usual.

Niall McCann

www.joelsonwilson.com