Nightclub on Great Suffolk Street (Ewer Street Car Park) – Review of Premises Licence

A group of residents will shortly be applying for a review of the premises license at this site due to the ongoing noise, crime, antisocial issues arising. Can you please contact me at the email below if you are willing to be listed as a supporter of this motion.

[email protected]

In particular, I’d welcome details on specific issues you may have, especially if you’ve reported them to any relevant 3rd parties (reference numbers would be appreciated if you have them). Frequency, dates of major incidents or photos also useful; key is to get as thorough and detailed a set of evidence as possible so we can fully convey the negative impact this venue has on local residents and businesses.

Thanks,
G

Hello Gary, just to satisfy my curiosity, could you tell me how long your group of residents have been living in this area? I just ask because as far as I know, the club has been there for approx 5 years. Did some of the complainants move in after the club started operating or are you all longer-term residents?

Thanks all for the responses so far, please include name and general address info (if a resident) as will need this for supporting evidence.

Pieces of Eight, we've lived here for 4 years - same timing as the club.

GaryWM wrote:

Thanks all for the responses so far, please include name and general address info (if a resident) as will need this for supporting evidence.
Pieces of Eight, we've lived here for 4 years - same timing as the club.

Thanks for your reply Gary. The club has been there since 2008. I do sympathise with the fact that there is a lot of noise in this area. However, those residents who are complaining who moved in after the club started are akin to folks moving to a house near Heathrow and then complaining about aircraft noise!

Pieces of Eight wrote:

However, those residents who are complaining who moved in after the club started are akin to folks moving to a house near Heathrow and then complaining about aircraft noise!

Not quite the same. You couldn't really buy a house round Heathrow without knowing there was a noise issue. The existence of this club is hardly obvious. But, yes, on those grounds you might be right to say 'tough luck'.

That's not the real issue (or difference) though, is it? If punters arrived and left 'in good order' there might not be a petition going round. As it is, they don't.

turtmcfly wrote:

Pieces of Eight wrote:

However, those residents who are complaining who moved in after the club started are akin to folks moving to a house near Heathrow and then complaining about aircraft noise!

Not quite the same. You couldn't really buy a house round Heathrow without knowing there was a noise issue. The existence of this club is hardly obvious. But, yes, on those grounds you might be right to say 'tough luck'.

That's not the real issue (or difference) though, is it? If punters arrived and left 'in good order' there might not be a petition going round. As it is, they don't.

Fair enough, if this is designed to pull the club in line over control issues, all well and good (even though it is always difficult to ascertain where a club's responsibility ends when hundreds of club-goers are heading home). However, if it is designed to close the club down by putting in unrealistic control measures, then that is fundamentally unfair. There is a growing trend, particularly in the more affluent, re-generated areas of London, for residents to move in and then complain about businesses that have existed there for longer but do not fit in with their view of how the neighbourhood should be. To them I do say "tough luck" and do a bit more research before buying/renting in a particular area.

I am a local resident and wholeheartedly support businesses in the area. I buy coffee from Cafe Relaxo, have lunch occasionally at Carlos Kitchen or Mar I Terra, buy groceries at Lower Marsh Market, sometimes a dinner at The Table or Tall House, even look for gifts at the CAA.

However, companies which host rave parties across London venues and which rent Union Street car-park to accommodate up to 1000 revellers at £10 a pop hardly constitute 'local businesses.' As far as I can see, the only other 'local businesses' which benefit from these rave parties are Sainsburys and Tescos, from the sale of six packs of beer and copious cans of Red Bull etc.

Here are what residents have to put up with, with increasing frequency, every time an event takes places: *swarms of people on the pavements hollering, usually from 10 pm heading towards the venue, and again from 5.30am onwards as they stream out of the venue
*rows of men having pissing 'contests' in doorways, under the arches, and on the streets
*the lovely sight of people puking on the streets
*the volume (thumping beat of dance music) escalating, usually after midnight and into the wee hours of the morning
*cars amassing and gridlocked on the surrounding streets starting usually from 5.30am, followed by honking, people shouting, loud music blaring from car radios
*a wasteland of bottles, cans, club ad posters, cigarette stubs, occasionally drug paraphernalia, littering the streets after the party has disbanded

If these raves can be held in a civilised, controlled manner, I have no issue with people having a good time. Objecting to the behaviours/issues outlined above is not about forcing gentrification or expecting neighbourhoods to conform to newcomers, nor is it about persecuting established local businesses.

I think a review of the license would be healthy, perhaps to tighten the conditions under which these events are hosted, given their detrimental impact on those who live in and contribute to the area.

I echo Shivaun's thoughts. In no way would I consider a car park that is a venue for club nights organised by one-off promoters who have no connection to the area, a local business. It's just a car park trying to make more money on the weekends, it provides no amenity, employment or any other positive benefit to the area; moreover there is no consistency in any part of the club nights from one evening to the next.

As such this is a completely different situation to the Ministry of Sound issue, to which I believe you might be likening this. As an example, if this were an actual local business as opposed to just a pop-up operation, it would have toilet facilities. As it isn't, the only toilet provisions are porta-loos which are inside the security - so people just end up using local streets as a toilet.

Also, their license was granted in 2010 so if they were operating since 2008 they were doing so in breach.

I am a staunch supporter of local businesses and chose to live in Bankside because of the great mixed neighbourhood feel.

If the club were able to operate in a civilised manner and residents were not subject to a wide variety of issues (many have already been highlighted) then I wouldn't mind. But the venue management has consistently let the local area down in how they manage the influx of people in that they don't patrol the local area, don't clean up, and breach the rules of their license. In the past we've tried to engage proactively with them, including consultations, but the situation has just gotten worse and worse.

As an example, two weeks ago as I was coming back from dinner (at a local restaurant), the minicabs had taken over an entire intersection and were parked everywhere including public pavements, private property and throughout the roads. When I stopped to take a photo of the chaos, one of the drivers threatened me with violence very aggressively. Whilst this driver wasn't an employee of the venue, it was a direct symptom, and because there are no proper controls by the venue and Southwark Parking do not operate at night, there are no other means of dealing with this. Even as a 'newcomer' to the area, I believe I have the right to be safe outside my home.

Shoom's gone, SE1's gone, Cable's gone, and now probably this place. With ministry to follow.

GaryWM wrote:

I echo Shivaun's thoughts. In no way would I consider a car park that is a venue for club nights organised by one-off promoters who have no connection to the area, a local business. It's just a car park trying to make more money on the weekends, it provides no amenity, employment or any other positive benefit to the area; moreover there is no consistency in any part of the club nights from one evening to the next.
As such this is a completely different situation to the Ministry of Sound issue, to which I believe you might be likening this. As an example, if this were an actual local business as opposed to just a pop-up operation, it would have toilet facilities. As it isn't, the only toilet provisions are porta-loos which are inside the security - so people just end up using local streets as a toilet.

Also, their license was granted in 2010 so if they were operating since 2008 they were doing so in breach.

I am a staunch supporter of local businesses and chose to live in Bankside because of the great mixed neighbourhood feel.

If the club were able to operate in a civilised manner and residents were not subject to a wide variety of issues (many have already been highlighted) then I wouldn't mind. But the venue management has consistently let the local area down in how they manage the influx of people in that they don't patrol the local area, don't clean up, and breach the rules of their license. In the past we've tried to engage proactively with them, including consultations, but the situation has just gotten worse and worse.

As an example, two weeks ago as I was coming back from dinner (at a local restaurant), the minicabs had taken over an entire intersection and were parked everywhere including public pavements, private property and throughout the roads. When I stopped to take a photo of the chaos, one of the drivers threatened me with violence very aggressively. Whilst this driver wasn't an employee of the venue, it was a direct symptom, and because there are no proper controls by the venue and Southwark Parking do not operate at night, there are no other means of dealing with this. Even as a 'newcomer' to the area, I believe I have the right to be safe outside my home.

I don't believe I mentioned anything about a "local" business in my post, although the provenance of the business is a moot point. The fundamental issue is that the area has been used as a club venue since 2008 (whether licensed or not). I live quite close to the area and have done for many years and I certainly recall them having a big shindig in there in the summer of 2008. It really sounds like people haven't done their homework before moving to the area.
With regards to the traffic issue, that is a matter for the Council as the door-staff of the venue do not have the legal powers to direct and control traffic on public roads. I was sorry to hear that a mini-cab driver threatened you but he may have thought that you were taking photographs of him and some folks can get quite touchy with that sort of thing (although I would re-iterate that there is no excuse for violent, threatening behaviour).
As stated in my previous post, I would agree with you that you are entitled to ensure that the venue honours the terms of their licence but I hope that this is not a move to try and close the venue down. I am way too old to attend these types of events but I would certainly sign a counter petition to keep the venue open.
In conclusion, you of course have the right to be safe outside your home but I do not think the existence of this club threatens your safety.