Local Liberal Democrat councillor David Watson emphasized the growing noise and disruption caused by an increase in bars and licensed venues in the area, stating, "The number of bars and licensed venues in Borough and Bankside has ballooned along with antisocial behaviour, noise and disruption." He highlighted that the proposed bars would be dangerously close to nearby residents' homes, noting that they could add four more bars right outside their bedroom windows.
James Anderson of the Arch Company attempted to minimize concerns regarding the proposed bars by emphasizing the trend towards more relaxed, seated environments instead of rowdy drinking establishments, asserting that "The word 'bar' is slightly emotive and perhaps gives the impression of lots of blokes standing drinking pints. But of course the trendier version of that is the much more relaxed seated ambience." However, residents remained unconvinced.
Resident Helen Green expressed her strong disapproval of the assumption that a wine bar would be any better than a traditional pub, stating, "I take exception to one of the earlier people saying 'oh it wouldn't matter because it would be more wine bar than pub'. It doesn't matter if it's a drunk person on wine or a drunk person on beer." This highlights the overarching concern of public disturbances regardless of the type of venue.
Alex Brown, another resident, voiced his anxiety over the potential impact of having multiple licensed venues so close to residential areas. He commented, "I think the prospect of having four licensed premises with sliding doors and potentially 480 people about 30 to 50ft away from our bedroom windows is not acceptable," reflecting a broader sentiment that such establishments would infringe on their quality of life.
Collection
[
|
...
]