THE Christchurch Boathouse bar and restaurant will be allowed to continue its off sales, up until 10pm seven days a week.

A new licence has been granted to the premises by the local licensing sub committee after a meeting which heard a range of objections about noise and disturbances in the area, including an objection to the licence from Christchurch town council.

Boathouse staff say any anti-social behaviour in and around the Quay and Quomps is nothing to do with the business.

They told the hearing that their presence has been good for the area with staff picking up litter, no matter where it comes from, several times a day and being on hand to call the police if problems do arise on the public open space.

Around twenty residents and Christchurch town council had objected to the Boathouse application to keep an off sale licence which they have had, on a temporary basis, during the pandemic months.

Many of the objectors claimed that allowing off sales, from an Airstream caravan brought onto the site, will only add to litter and disturbances – an allegation which Boathouse solicitor Sandra Graham, says is being unfairly placed at the door of the popular eatery, which caters mainly for families and more mature customers.

She says there are other take away outlets in the area and there is nothing to stop people using the public open space bringing drinks from High Street stores, or even from home.

Mrs Graham told a BCP licensing sub-committee that the long-established business had not met with any statutory objectors when it applied to make the temporary off sales licence permanent and local police believe having the business in the area is a deterrent to anti-social behaviour.

The solicitor says the Boathouse is not aimed at low-cost food or drink, but at the higher end of the market, with its £6 a pint price likely to put off most people who were planning to get drunk and misbehave. She said most of the off sales were food, tea and coffees, with only a small percentage, around 20 per cent, alcohol.

She said she had been dealing with the business for more than a quarter of a century and was shocked to learn of the number of objections to the off sales licence, something which she said many food and drink businesses already had as a matter of course.

An objection letter from one resident to the licensing panel claimed that during pandemic period anti-social behaviour in and around Quomps has increased – often fuelled by alcohol.

“It is usually a relatively quiet, peaceful and safe place to be and enjoy and promotes its Green Flag status. However, our experience of the off-premises alcohol sales has made the Quomps a worrying, frightening and anxious place to live….We believe alcohol is the catalyst for the vast majority of the unacceptable occurrences and strongly object to the above licence variation being extended.”

One of the conditions of the new licence is that the Boathouse will provide a telephone number for residents to report any noise nuisance coming from the premises, as it occurs.