Wisbech brewer Elgood’s put in application for 3am closing for part of the week at town centre pub run by deputy mayor
The Angel Inn, Wisbech, where publican Cllr Aigars Balsevics is hoping to extend licensing hours for part of the week to 3am. The application is before Fenland Council and has been submitted by Wisbech brewer Elgood's. Picture; ARCHANT - Credit: Archant
Wisbech brewer Elgood & Son Ltd has applied to Fenland District Council to allow one of the three town pubs run by deputy mayor and town councillor Aigars Balsevics to stay open from Thursday to Sunday until 3am.
The brewer wants to vary the premises licence held by Cllr Balsevics for the Angel Inn, Alexandra Road, to be allowed to serve alcohol until 2.45am on those days and also to allow live/recorded music outside from Monday daily from 10am to 11pm.
Additionally the application is asking for live/recorded music to be played inside from 10am to midnight from Monday to Wednesday and from 10am to 2.45am from Thursday to Sunday.
The application has been advertised by Fenland District Council and they are inviting representations by September 3.
Recently elected Wisbech town councillor Ben Prest was among those to take to social media to offer a view.
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"It's a free country, if someone wants a pint at 3am let them have a pint," he wrote.
Town and district councillor Steve Tierney wrote that "if licensing said 'no' without good reason and it went to appeal, licensing would lose and taxpayers would pay".
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Town council chairman Sam Hoy, also a Fenland councillor and cabinet member, wrote that "as a personal friend" of the applicant she would not "put myself on the panel to hear this case".
She also argued that it "seems to me that people's problems aren't with the times it's with who has applied for them," she wrote on the Wisbech Discussion Facebook forum.
Wisbech taxi driver Billy Rackley - also a town and district councillor - wrote on the same forum: "If you have a problem with when people drink, then that is your problem.
"My opinions on drinking in the town are that if someone feels they can supply a service and there is a niche in the market, then who am I say no you can't do it."
He also added that there were taxis still running into the early hours should people need them.
Cllr Rackley pointed out that the town has a night club open till late and he felt the decision "will come down to licensing and not the police whether this gets passed or not. Obviously the police will get input."
