Police Raise Concerns Over Gidea Park Hotel Bar Seeking To Close Doors Later.

A Romford hotel is seeking permission to close its bar later at night despite concerns being raised by the Metropolitan Police, writes local democracy reporter Sebastian Mann.

Star Pubs Trading Ltd has applied to Havering Council to extend the Drill Hotel’s hours until midnight on weekdays and 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. It will also push its opening time back to 8am each day.

It is currently licensed to stay until 11pm on Mondays through Thursdays, and until midnight on weekends. It closes at 10.30pm on Sundays.

In their application, the owners say there will be a “number of measures” put in place to prevent crime, nuisance and disorder.

They include regular sound-level checks, the installation of a noise-limiter and proposals to keep all doors and windows closed after 7pm.

Additionally, no patrons are currently not allowed into the Brentwood Road venue after 11pm.

However, licensing teams with Havering Council and the Met have taken issue with the increased risk of nuisance it could create.

The town hall’s licensing department said it objected to the application because, while the venue is situated on a busy roundabout, there have been “issues in the past with patrons congregating in the area upon [exiting] causing noise nuisance to neighbours”.

More alcohol sales could also lead to customers becoming “louder and more boisterous,” which carries the potential for disturbing residents nearby.

Though the current tenants are “good operators and have a good working relationship with the council,” licensing officers said the “commercial value of trading later has to be balanced with the needs of local residents”.

Licensing officers from the Met felt similarly.

“Whilst the premises is generally well managed, police have concerns that an extension of trading hours is likely to have an adverse impact on the local community,” they said.

The Drill is not situated in a “late night economy zone” and the wider area “lacks the infrastructure such as permanent door staff presence, external CCTV coverage and taxi ranks,” they said.

Maintaining the current hours would “strikes a fair balance between the interests of the business and the rights of residents to quiet enjoyment of their homes”.

The Drill advertises itself as a “great British pub at the heart of the community”. It shows live football games and hosts various themed nights.

A decision will be made on the application next week.

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