ARE THERE NOW JUST TOO MANY ALCOHOL-SERVING PREMISES IN CLEETHORPES?

                                               

Sea View Street on a quiet day - but things can get a  bit boisterous

ARE  there too many licensed premises in Cleethorpes?

Over the past 10 years, many of the former shops in Market Place and High Street have been converted to bars.

Now two premises on Sea View Street - Marples and the Calcutta Street Kitchen Indian Restaurant - have applied for licences to serve alcohol.

At a meeting next Tuesday May 11, North East Lincolnshire Council's licensing committee is due to determine the Calcutta application.

However, it might not be plain-sailing - the meeting documents contain a letter of objection from Paul Gardner, of 17 Sea View Street, who is concerned  at the proliferation of alcohol-serving businesses.

He writes: "Sea View Street has had problems with antisocial behaviour in daytime over weekends. 

"We have had stag and hen functions spilling into the street. 

"This is supposed to be a family-friendly area, but who would want their children walking the street with groups of drunken people swearing and congregating in large groups?"

He continues: "The flat above the shops would become uninhabitable due to noise - and occupants cannot install double glazing because this is a Conservation Area."

Mr Gardner concludes that, if more bars are permitted, Sea View Street risks becoming "another Market Place" - a part of Cleethorpes where disturbances, some of them violent, are far from uncommon.   

It is not known if the police will make any representations.

Agent for the Calcutta application is Michael Kheng of Reepham near Lincoln.

One of the three members of NELC's licensing committee is Cllr Tim Mickleburgh who is a longstanding member of the Methodist community.

Whether he will declare this potentially prejudicial interest in advance of next week's meeting remains to be seen.