Issue - decisions

Hearing reconvened in private session at 15:30 hours on 13 November 2025.

 

PRESENT: Councillors Rose (Chair), Hook, and Nicholls.

 

The Sub-Committee resolved to grant and exclude licensable activities and to modify conditions as applied for (Option 3), as follows:

 

Activity	Timings
Plays – indoors	23:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Wednesday 23:00 to 03:00 Thursday to Saturday   Non-standard timings:   23:00 to 03:00: Halloween and Bank Holiday Sundays 23:00 to 04:00: New Years Eve and Pride Event
Films – indoors	23:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Wednesday 23:00 to 03:00 Thursday to Saturday   Non-standard timings:   23:00 to 03:00: Halloween and Bank Holiday Sundays 23:00 to 04:00: New Years Eve and Pride Event
Indoor sporting events	23:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Wednesday 23:00 to 03:00 Thursday to Saturday   Non-standard timings:   23:00 to 03:00: Halloween and Bank Holiday Sundays 23:00 to 04:00: New Years Eve and Pride Event
Live music – indoors	23:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Wednesday 23:00 to 03:00 Thursday to Saturday   Non-standard timings:   23:00 to 03:00: Halloween and Bank Holiday Sundays 23:00 to 04:00: New Years Eve and Pride Event
Recorded music - indoors	23:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Wednesday 23:00 to 03:00 Thursday to Saturday   Non-standard timings:   23:00 to 03:00: Halloween and Bank Holiday Sundays 23:00 to 04:00: New Years Eve and Pride Event
Performance of dance – indoors	23:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Wednesday 23:00 to 03:00 Thursday to Saturday   Non-standard timings:   23:00 to 03:00: Halloween and Bank Holiday Sundays 23:00 to 04:00: New Years Eve and Pride Event
Other forms of entertainment – indoors	23:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Wednesday 23:00 to 03:00 Thursday to Saturday   Non-standard timings:   23:00 to 03:00: Halloween and Bank Holiday Sundays 23:00 to 04:00: New Years Eve and Pride Event
Supply of alcohol – on the premises only	11:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Wednesday 11:00 to 03:00 Thursday to Saturday   Non-standard timings:   11:00 to 03:00: Halloween and Bank Holiday Sundays 11:00 to 04:00: New Years Eve and Pride Event
Opening hours	07:00 to 02:00 Sunday to Wednesday 07:00 to 04:00 Thursday to Saturday   Non-standard timings:   07:00 to 04:00 Halloween and Bank Holiday Sundays 07:00 to 04:30 New Years Eve and Pride Event

 

‘Pride Event’ is defined as the Saturday closest to the Pride Parade held in York City Centre.

 

Additional conditions:

 

1.     The premises will operate as an LGBTQI+ community events venue and bar.

 

Events include but are not limited to: dance and live performance, social gatherings, film showings, exercise classes, support groups, arts and craft groups and markets.

 

2.     The sale of alcohol shall cease 30 minutes before close of business on any given day to allow for ‘drinking up’ time.

 

3.     When the venue is open and operating for licensable activities a min of 2 SIA registered door staff shall be provided at the premises from 19:00 hours to the close of business at the following times:

 

·       Fridays and Saturdays or any Sunday leading into a bank holiday Monday.

·       Any days where race meetings are held at York Racecourse (save for the family meeting held in September and the first meeting in May).

 

4.     At all other times the need for SIA registered door staff shall be determined in accordance with a risk assessment, to be carried out by the Designated Premises Supervisor and or the Premises Licence Holder. When employed, door staff will wear high visibility arm bands.

 

5.     The management of the venue will comply with any written, reasonable and justified request made by North Yorkshire Police regarding the provision of Door Supervisors should the need arise at other times. When employed, a register of those door supervisors employed shall be maintained at the premises and shall include:

 

1. The number of door staff on duty;
2. The SIA badge number and name of each member of door staff;
3. The times the door staff are on duty;
4. Any incidents.

 

6.     The licence holder will operate a Challenge 25 Age Verification Policy at the premises. Identification which is accepted as proof of age must bear the holder’s photograph, date of birth, and either a holographic mark or ultraviolet feature. Examples of acceptable ID include photo card driving licences, passports, military identification or proof of age cards bearing the PASS hologram, although other forms of ID which meet the criteria laid out above are also acceptable.

 

7.     Customers shall not be permitted to take glass outside (including the designated outside area).

 

8.     An incident log shall be kept at the premises, and made available upon immediate request to an authorised officer from any responsible authority, which will record the following:

 

• All crimes reported to the venue;
• All ejections of patrons;
• Any complaints received;
• Any incidents of disorder;
• Seizures of drugs or offensive weapons;
• Any faults in the CCTV system or searching equipment or scanning equipment;
• Any refusal of the sale of alcohol;
• Any visit by a relevant authority or emergency service

 

Details of which shall be retained for a period of 12 months from the date recorded.

 

9.     Any entertainment, performance, service, or exhibition involving nudity or sexual stimulation which would come within the definition of a sex establishment in Schedule 3 to the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 shall not be provided.

 

10.The premises will take part in and comply with any crime reduction initiatives, when requested to do so by a responsible authority.

 

11.A noise management plan shall be submitted and approved by The Environmental Protection Team of City of York Council within 2 months of the premises licence being granted. The Noise Management Plan shall include a procedure for investigating noise complaints received from the premises and controlling smokers in the outside area. Once agreed the Premises Management shall ensure compliance with all aspects of the approved Noise Management Plan.

 

12.A documented dispersal policy shall be submitted and approved to the City of York Council’s Public Protection team within 2 months of the licence being granted. Once approved the policy shall be implemented.

 

13.The footprint of the outside area shall be clearly defined by semi-permanent removal barriers.

 

14.Patrons shall not use the external area other than for ingress and egress, queueing and smoking between the following hours 22:00 hours and 8:00 hours.

 

15.All tables and chairs in the outside licensed area shall be removed by 22:30 hours each day and stored away securely within the premises until 8:00 hours the following day.

 

16.All doors save for the outer front door exiting on to North Street (except for immediate ingress or egress), and windows shall remain closed when regulated entertainment is taking place.

 

17.No regulated entertainment shall take place at the premises until either the Environmental Protection team of the City of York Council are satisfied that the sound insulation performance of the building envelope of the premises is satisfactory at preventing noise break out of sound from regulated entertainment or until a detailed scheme of noise insulation measures have been submitted to and agreed with the Environmental Protection team of the City of York Council and then implemented, at which time this condition shall be removed from the licence by the licensing authority.

 

18.If deemed appropriate by Environmental Protection, within 2 months of a written request by the City of York Council’s Environmental Protection team, a tamper-proof noise-limiting device shall be fitted to the sound system within the premises and all music played at the premises must pass through this sound limiter at a level first agreed in writing by the City of York Council’s Environmental Protection Team. Thereafter the device shall not be altered or modified without prior agreement with the City of York Council’s Environmental Protection team. The device must be of a type and in a location approved in writing by the City of York Council’s Environmental Protection team.

 

19. A door along the passageway between the bar and the rear door shall be installed to create an acoustic lobby.

 

20.The applicant shall maintain a Calendar of Events which shall include:

 

1. An indication of the licensable activities taking place;
2. An indication of the hours of the sale of alcohol;
3. An indication of the opening and closing hours;
4. And any other relevant matters.

 

21.The Calendar of Events shall be provided to the North Yorkshire Police and the Licensing Authority regularly to ensure that a minimum of 1 months’ notice prior to an event is given where possible.

 

22.Where the venue is hired out for a private event children under the age of 18 will be permitted to remain until close of the premises subject to the supervision of a responsible adult.

 

Full reasons for the Sub-Committee’s decision will be included in the detailed Decision Letter which will be provided to the Applicant and the Representors in due course.

 

There is a right of appeal for the Applicant and the Representors to the Magistrates’ Court against this decision. Any appeal to the Magistrates Court must be made within in 21 days of receipt of the Decision Letter and sent to the following address:

 

Chief Executive

York and Selby Magistrates Court

The Law Courts

Clifford Street

York

YO1 9RE

 

 

Resolved: The Sub-Committee resolved to adjourn the Licensing Hearing for Determination of Application for Premises Licence [Section 18(3)(a) Licensing Act 2003] in respect of Little J, Chapel House, North Street, York, YO1 6JD to 27 October 2025 at 10:00 hours.