'No' to new bar proposals

8:10am Tuesday 7th October 2008

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PLANS for a new bar have been refused because police say they are already over-stretched.

Last Wednesday councillors heard how the town centre is plagued by crime and disorder at night.

They were discussing plans to convert a former carpet shop at Rusgan House on Barbauld Street into a bar that would open until 2am.

But police objections on the grounds of public safety, a potential increase in crime and inadequate CCTV meant the application was unanimously refused.

In a letter to the committee the force said: “Officers are already heavily committed every night policing the town centre to deal with a very large number of violent incidents.

“I have been forced to abstract officers from other parts of the borough. The result is that I am unable to adequately police these areas.”

The letter argues that since the area is not covered by CCTV police would be unable to spot trouble before it escalated.

Alison Freeman, speaking for the applicant, said the bar was offering CCTV as an improvement on the original application which was refused in March this year.

The CCTV would also cover another building that received planning permission without a requirement for CCT.

She called the force’s approach ‘prejudiced’ and said: “If this is refused then surely every other application for the town centre should also be refused. Barbauld Street is in dire need of investment.”