Cross Hands nightclub licence reviewed
A Cross Hands nightclub has had its licence reviewed and stricter conditions imposed after police found under age drinkers celebrating there before Christmas.
The Gwernllwyn Country Club in Heol Llandeilo had its licence reviewed at a meeting of Carmarthenshire County Council’s licensing committee. The review had been requested by the police but local residents also gave evidence.
Police licensing officer Mike Price said that that a police officer driving past the Gwernllwyn Country Club last December 16 saw youngsters in the car park near the entrance. One of them was a young man so drunk he had to be held up by the others. He was found to be just 16. Other police were called and went into the club.
He said: “The officers witnessed a large number of drunken young people and some appeared to be under the age of 18 years. One of the officers saw a drunken male person vomiting near the bar area. There was also evidence of recent vomiting nearby.”
Police checked some of the people there and found that they were aged under 18 and had been drinking.
Police again visited the club on December 18, along with council licensing officers, and found two girls with fake ID and two boys drinking under age. drinkers. Statements were also taken from some of the children.
A local resident showed a selection of CCTV footage to the committee from two nights in July 2009. This showed people entering and leaving the premises, taxis and buses stopping. It was possible to hear people shouting and screaming, car horns being sounded and engines revving. This went on until well after 4am.
Another resident said that quality of life at weekends goes downhill once the club opens. Problems start about midnight and end very early in the morning.
Council environmental health practitioner Gareth Liley said that a lot of the problems are due to poor management. Improved management could deal with most, if not all of them.
Gareth Hughes, on behalf of licensee William James, said that the review by police was not justified. The two instances in December 2008 were not going to be repeated. He would not hold any more school prom events.
Mr Hughes said that youngsters had been drinking elsewhere before getting to the Gwernllwyn Country Club. Things were not perfect on the night. The odd ID might get through the net. Proposed new checks would be used in future.
The youths seen outside the premises by Inspector Lewis had not been inside. The proper approach would have been to do a test purchasing. No sales were actually witnessed by the police on either night, he added.
The committee imposed a range of conditions including that an ID recognition system should be installed to work with door staff and that the designated premises supervisor must do an accredited training course.
It was agreed that school prom events should not be held in future and that under-18s should only be allowed in for family events such as wedding parties.
Conditions were imposed to tackle the issue of noise outside the premises. Additional staff will patrol outside the frontage on Llandeilo Road to make sure customers do not loiter, and measures will be put in place to make sure that taxis, minibuses and other vehicles stop inside the club car park.
Council executive board member for housing and public protection Cllr Hugh Evans said: “It is important that licensed premises are run in such a way as to prevent youngsters from being served alcohol and to prevent neighbours from being disturbed by noise from people leaving the premises.
“The purpose of the review was to ensure that this is the case in future and I, along with executive board member for education and children’s services Cllr Gwynne Wooldridge, will also be discussing the issues relating to school proms with the schools concerned.”
The Gwernllwyn Country Club in Heol Llandeilo had its licence reviewed at a meeting of Carmarthenshire County Council’s licensing committee. The review had been requested by the police but local residents also gave evidence.
Police licensing officer Mike Price said that that a police officer driving past the Gwernllwyn Country Club last December 16 saw youngsters in the car park near the entrance. One of them was a young man so drunk he had to be held up by the others. He was found to be just 16. Other police were called and went into the club.
He said: “The officers witnessed a large number of drunken young people and some appeared to be under the age of 18 years. One of the officers saw a drunken male person vomiting near the bar area. There was also evidence of recent vomiting nearby.”
Police checked some of the people there and found that they were aged under 18 and had been drinking.
Police again visited the club on December 18, along with council licensing officers, and found two girls with fake ID and two boys drinking under age. drinkers. Statements were also taken from some of the children.
A local resident showed a selection of CCTV footage to the committee from two nights in July 2009. This showed people entering and leaving the premises, taxis and buses stopping. It was possible to hear people shouting and screaming, car horns being sounded and engines revving. This went on until well after 4am.
Another resident said that quality of life at weekends goes downhill once the club opens. Problems start about midnight and end very early in the morning.
Council environmental health practitioner Gareth Liley said that a lot of the problems are due to poor management. Improved management could deal with most, if not all of them.
Gareth Hughes, on behalf of licensee William James, said that the review by police was not justified. The two instances in December 2008 were not going to be repeated. He would not hold any more school prom events.
Mr Hughes said that youngsters had been drinking elsewhere before getting to the Gwernllwyn Country Club. Things were not perfect on the night. The odd ID might get through the net. Proposed new checks would be used in future.
The youths seen outside the premises by Inspector Lewis had not been inside. The proper approach would have been to do a test purchasing. No sales were actually witnessed by the police on either night, he added.
The committee imposed a range of conditions including that an ID recognition system should be installed to work with door staff and that the designated premises supervisor must do an accredited training course.
It was agreed that school prom events should not be held in future and that under-18s should only be allowed in for family events such as wedding parties.
Conditions were imposed to tackle the issue of noise outside the premises. Additional staff will patrol outside the frontage on Llandeilo Road to make sure customers do not loiter, and measures will be put in place to make sure that taxis, minibuses and other vehicles stop inside the club car park.
Council executive board member for housing and public protection Cllr Hugh Evans said: “It is important that licensed premises are run in such a way as to prevent youngsters from being served alcohol and to prevent neighbours from being disturbed by noise from people leaving the premises.
“The purpose of the review was to ensure that this is the case in future and I, along with executive board member for education and children’s services Cllr Gwynne Wooldridge, will also be discussing the issues relating to school proms with the schools concerned.”
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