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Town Hall
hit in licensing blunder
A TOWN Hall licensing blunder was uncovered this week –
after a Primrose Hill pub took Camden Council to court over
a failed license application.
The Prince Albert pub in Princess Road had been refused a license
extension in September and was asking magistrates to reconsider
its bid to stay open until midnight at the weekends and 11.30pm
during the week.
But when papers arrived at the hearing, landlord Lindsay Campbell
discovered paper work had been incorrectly filled in –
and he had already been granted the hours he originally wanted,
even though a licensing panel made up of councillors had told
him it was a non-starter.
Mr Campbell said he believed the bungle meant he had been given
someone else’s license. He said: “It was a mistake
in our favour.”
Mr Campbell has meanwhile guaranteed to stick to his original
hours.
He said: “Although we legally can open later we’re
going to continue to trade as we have.”
Barrister Ernest James, who represented objectors at September’s
hearing said: “Camden is only now issuing licences dating
back to September. If they had issued it on time this could
have been done properly. My professional opinion is that Camden
has to issue a new licence.”
The council offered to change the papers but magistrates instead
sent the matter back to the licensing panel for a full hearing
– which could mean a year has passed since the original
hearings. Because of council elections and holidays, it could
take until September for the matter to be solved.
A council spokesman said: “We get a lot of licensing applications.
We will deal with this as quickly as possible.”
The court ordered the Town Hall to pay £750 in costs.
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