Livebait wins extension to opening hours

The restaurant, part of Chez Gerard Restaurants Limited, applied to vary the premises licence to enable it be remain open until midnight.

Seven objections were received from nearby residents with most concerned about late night noise. Three complaints from the same building were about noise from an extractor fan.

At the Southwark Council licensing sub committee meeting, held at the Town Hall on Monday, Livebait was required to demonstrate that there would be no negative cumulative impact of the extension as The Cut fell within Borough and Bankside saturation policy zone.

Livebait, in a conciliation statement last month, said: "We do not believe that the extension of hours will greatly vary any potential noise nuisance."

It added: "We would like to be able to offer a post theatre meal for people visting the area and the extra hour will allow them to finish their meal in comfort without having to rush." Included was the suggestion that on some nights restaurant would close before midnight.

Assistant manager Nick Bolton, speaking at the hearing, claimed that some productions at the Young Vic were running later in the evenings than others.

In reply to complaints about noise from staff at the rear and fears that a later closure of the restaurant would exacerbate this, Mr Bolton said that the yard had now been closed to staff.

In a second open area staff were now allowed to smoke but not use mobile phones. All staff had to agree to this rule and a handover document for any new managers would ensure continuity of policy.

In reply to allegations that the extractor was noisy, Mr Bolton said that £11,000 had been spent on extractor soundproofing.

Ray McClymont, director of Operations for the parent company Paramount Restaurants, said that Livebait would be prepared to have a monthly meeting with residents.

Mr Bolton said that Livebait's membership of Waterloo Quarter demonstrated that it was part of the community.

In granting the application, after over an hour's deliberation, the sub committee added several conditions: no refuse to be placed outside after 11pm; rear doors to be kept closed; staff not permitted to use courtyard at rear; the "up to date" name and contact number of the manager to be displayed at the entrance.