Objections to new pancake and cocktail bar near Milton Keynes fall flat as venue handed alcohol licence

Residents turned out in vain to object to a pancake and cocktail bar from getting an alcohol licence in a town’s unruly high street.
The former bakery, before work started on the new pancake barThe former bakery, before work started on the new pancake bar
The former bakery, before work started on the new pancake bar

Objections to new pancake and cocktail bar fall flat as venue handed alcohol licence

Residents turned out in vain to object to a pancake and cocktail bar from getting an alcohol licence in a town’s unruly high street.

The former Olivers bakery in High Street, Woburn Sands, is being converted into The Whisk Kitchen and Bar and needed a new licence to be able to serve alcohol.

The former bakery, before work started on the new pancake barThe former bakery, before work started on the new pancake bar
The former bakery, before work started on the new pancake bar

Neighbour Paul Howard told councillors on Monday that he needs quiet to be able to teach vulnerable adults and children, and use a silent garden. He said soundproofing was not adequate and he was worried that an alleyway currently used by people “urinating, throwing up, and doing drugs” would get worse.

“If you look at their website, it’s not about pancakes, it’s a cocktail bar,” said Mr Howard, who said he was representing other neighbours. “I am worried about how it is going to be managed. There have been a lot of incidents in the last three or four months, including people fighting in the road outside.”

And Woburn Sands town councillor Jacky Jeffreys, among the half a dozen objecting residents, said: “The hub of the matter is that residents do not want more licensed premises.” She called for the venue to be restricted from opening during three days of the week.

“If it is properly managed I can’t see any problem with it,” she added. “But if there are 40 drunk people seven days a week, that’s unacceptable.”

Borough Cllr Alice Jenkins (Cons, Danesborough & Walton) said: “It will cause a lot of distress if it goes ahead.” She called for a noise assessment, and no deliveries to be made on Sundays.

Tom Rogers, the applicant, said he was a local resident, whose father owned a local business. “I am not an outsider coming in and upsetting everyone,” he said.

He said that the business was inspired by a visit to his wife’s Estonian homeland, where they visited similar premises.

“It will be family orientated,” he said, rejecting claims that it would be filled with 40 drunk people. “We will be selling sweet and savoury pancakes and holding cocktail events. It will be an exclusive cocktail bar.”

Thames Valley Police licensing officer Gemma McCormack told the committee that there had been two reports to them in Woburn Sands in the last year that had been linked to licensed premises. One was a fight on the street on April 12 and the other was a general report of anti social behaviour, but officers had not been give details of dates, times or exact locations.

Announcing the sub-committee’s decision, chairman Cllr Mick Legg (Lab, Bletchley West) said many of the matters raised could be dealt with by a range of conditions. The committee of three councillors decided to add another condition.

“You must have a noise management policy and a noise complaints log that will be available on request by the council or the police,” he said. The venue was also banned from receiving deliveries to the business at any time on Sundays.

Council licensing officer Adam Ward said that any breach of the conditions could see the venue fined £20,000 or face the loss of its licence.