Owners of a Muswell Hill night spot have responded to neighbours’ concerns over their bid to relax licensing conditions.

A representative of The Broadway, a coffee and cocktail lounge in Muswell Hill Broadway, claimed action had been taken to address residents’ complaints and said the proposed changes would not have an impact on the licensing objectives.

Owner Savvas Morgan, who took on the licence in 2020 after buying the venue, wants to remove a condition stating that alcohol should only be sold at a table with a meal after 11pm, while keeping opening hours and other details largely the same.

During a meeting of the licensing subcommittee on April 26, residents complained the venue was causing noise and antisocial behaviour. David Dadds, a barrister representing Mr Morgan, made the case for the licensing application during a reconvened meeting of the committee on Tuesday.

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Mr Dadds told the meeting the application was essentially aimed at allowing alcohol to be sold “without the need of a meal at a table”, adding “everything else remains the same”. He said the venue was “not a nightclub” and the applicant had suggested a condition to reflect that.

The barrister described Muswell Hill as a “commercial area where there are shops, restaurants, bars and a night-time economy” on an “arterial road”, adding that background noise was already higher than the level required for a comfortable night’s sleep.

Mr Dadds claimed there was no evidence of a causal link between The Broadway and the reports of noise and antisocial behaviour, adding that while the council had cited complaints made by residents, the allegations had not been “investigated or corroborated in any way”. He suggested the noise and antisocial behaviour was linked to other venues in the area.

The barrister claimed music from The Broadway could not be heard when its doors were closed, and he was content to have a condition for the back door to stay closed when there is regulated entertainment. He added that the venue had “removed a couple of speakers and installed a noise-limiting device, which he said the applicant would be happy to set in conjunction with residents to ensure music could not be heard in their homes.

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Mr Dadds said the venue had marshalls in place to stop customers using a private car park to the rear of the building and direct them to alternative parking. Under questioning from councillors, he also agreed to hold meetings between the venue and residents at least two times per year.

Summing up, Gavin Douglas, Haringey Council’s head of regulatory services, told the committee the premises continued to be a “particular concern to residents and the responsible authority”, adding that “we have heard evidence” that some of the conditions previously imposed on the venue to limit antisocial behaviour and “nightclub tendencies” had been broken.

He said the licensing authority had proposed reducing the hours so the venue would close at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, rather than 2am.

Gavin added: “I think the premises needs to build up the trust between itself, the responsible authorities and residents, and in doing so they could then consider an application at a further stage to extend the hours, having built up that trust.”

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When asked to sum up, Mr Dadds said a warning that had been issued to the venue had been “adhered to” and there had been “no other matters arising since”. He repeated claims that the licensing authority had “no evidence” of any antisocial behaviour, drug-dealing, noise or crime linked to the venue.

The barrister said The Broadway had taken action to deal with complaints relating to noise and the use of the private car park. He added that changing the condition stating that alcohol should only be sold at a table with a meal after 11pm would “not have an impact on the licensing objectives.”

The licensing subcommittee will issue its decision, which is subject to appeal, within five working days.