Brighton restaurant granted alcohol licence – despite neighbours’ concerns

Chef Aaron Dalton is linked with the 15 Vine Street project, which received a licence despite complaints from neighbours.

He is behind the FOUR pop-up restaurants and has worked in a number of Michelin starred restaurants including Chez Bruce and Fera.

Seven people living in Vine Street and members of the North Laine Community Association raised their concerns about the increasing number of businesses selling alcohol to a licensing panel of three councillors.

Vine Street is in the city’s cumulative impact zone (CIZ) where restrictions are made on the number of new licensed businesses.

North Laine Residents’ Association licensing co-ordinator Sandy Crowhurst said that 30 new licences had been granted in the North Laine area since 2011 causing increasing noise problems.

In an effort to co-operate with neighbours, restaurant owner Chris Drummond agreed to hold no special tasting events and offered no off-sales, to limit noise.

Mr Drummond also agreed to limit customers to 35, seated at tables, and to close the tri-folding doors at the front of the premises by 8pm.

In its written response, the panel said: “The panel considers that the amendments and concessions made to the application have gone a long way to meeting many of the concerns expressed in the representations.

“The application is now for a small restaurant and as such it is a type of premises recognised in our licensing policy as unlikely to add to cumulative impact and thus an exception to the policy.”

The restaurant is opening in the units previously occupied by Deaths Door Tattoo and the Mono cafe. The tattoo parlour remains in the unit between 15 Vine Street and Cin Cin.