Council Approves Alcohol Licence for ‘Beer Mat Bar’

Image Credit to Getsurrey

After exploiting a legal loophole for a lengthy period, Innsatiable the "furniture shop" in Farnham will soon become a legitimately-licensed venue

The venue which used to serve alcohol in return for the purchase of beer mats was ordered to close back in June following an undercover police raid.

Its owner, Simon Atkins, originally intended to reopen by exploiting the same legal loophole it used before, but later opted to apply for a licence, saying he had "nothing left to prove".

On Monday Atkins and his business partner Nicola Green, argued his case in front of Waverley Borough Council's licensing sub-committee, after an objection from a Farnham resident thwarted the chance of the licence being granted without a hearing.

After protracted negotiations, Surrey Police supported the licence application on the basis that the hours were restricted to 10am till 11.30pm on Monday to Thursday, 10am till 12.30am on Friday to Saturday, and 10am till 11pm on Sunday,. Innsatiable now plan to stage a reopening party on August 23

Despite going legitimate in Farnham, Mr Atkins plans to open an unlicensed bar along the Innsatiable model in central London within the next few months.

More detail on this story can be found here: getsurrey.co.uk

Alcohol Licence for 'Furniture Shop' Previously Selling Alcohol Legally Without Held Up

The controversial Farnham ‘furniture shop’ "Innsatiable" that serves alcohol has had its application for a licence stalled by an objector.

Innsatiable opened in July 2012 and since then has operated without a licence for the bulk of the time, this is due to a loophole which permits alcohol to be given away in exchange for the paid-for beer mats.

Image of Mr Atkins standing outside Innsatiable from www.getsurrey.co.uk

It was only on June 10, that a magistrate ordered Simon Atkins, the owner, to close, on the basis that licensing rules had been broken after an undercover operation by Surrey Police, in May. Mr Atkins vowed to continue operating without a licence, however last month applied for one from Waverley Borough Council, saying he had ‘nothing more to prove’.

Mr Atkins expected the application to be approved after the 28-day period, but the matter will be discussed at a meeting of the council’s licensing committee on August 11 after a member of the public objected on the grounds of noise and disorder. Mr Atkins said that "The person who objected is someone I’ve previously had a disagreement with, He’s got an axe to grind.” Despite the police figures appearing to back Mr Atkins’ argument, he has had little sympathy from more traditional publicans in the town. A Waverley borough councillor, said: “I think Waverley did the very best it could to bring him on board as a licensed landlord, but he kept trying to work his way round the legislation and now he has suffered the appropriate fate. The law isn’t that onerous. If he had stuck within it in the past I’m sure he would have a licence by now.”

The licence application is for closing times of 12.30am on Friday and Saturday nights and 11.30pm, Monday to Thursday. Mr Atkins believes in order to be successful he needs to open until 1.30am at least twice a week, but has been told Surrey Police would not support those hours. Mr Atkins has been told he has got to be “seen to toe the line first,”. He added “The people who run Farnham want to keep it a little market town. Camberley and Guildford are roaring ahead, but we're being kept back.”

The proprietor plans to take his unlicensed model to London in the autumn, opening a ‘pop-up’ bar in Soho until Christmas, by which time he aims to have secured the investment needed for a permanent venue operating on his original beer mat model.

Source www.getsurrey.co.uk