The lease of a Newark pub is back on the market with a £90,000 price tag
The lease of the Newark pub which gained national publicity and much public support when it changed from cream to blue and then to grey is back on the market with a £90,000 price tag.
Licensee Mr Richard Belam said he had decided to put the lease on the market because he couldn't expand the business due to being blocked by the licensing authorities. He said he had decided to look into new ventures, despite having been a publican for 25 years.
"The authorities are holding us back... We put in for a 3am licence but the town council and the police objected because of the the possibility of public disorder and nuisance on the streets. I find it very frustrating. This is a business with lots of potential but we're never allowed to continue to grow in the future.
"I'm planning to challenge this by putting in an appeal because we should be supporting local businesses in the town, especially when the big boys like Marks and Spencer or Boots are leaving or talking of leaving."
Mr Belam said his appeal would go before the licensing hearing to be held at Newark and Sherwood District Council's offices at Castle House on August 23. "Other pubs stay open late – the White Hart has a 3am licence and the Atrium was 3am. I just feel that we're being victimised, because everything we do to build the business, they object to."
The lease is being marketed by SidneyPhillips.co.uk and is described as a "successful high-turnover business" in a "three-storey corner end-terrace public house and carvery which benefits from a large open plan main bar, rear trade patio and seven upstairs bedrooms ideal for renovation."
Mr Belam fell foul of planning regulations when he smartened up the pub's exterior by painting it blue without initially seeking planning permission. The pub is Grade II listed in a conservation area, so the change of colour required the consent of Newark and Sherwood District Council planners. When consent was refused Mr Belam had to re-paint it grey after reaching agreement with planners.
He also said the long-term roadworks undertaken by Severn Trent to deliver a £60m upgrade to Newark's sewers was another factor in his decision: "The Severn Trent works had a big knock-on effect and it's really really hard. There are so many frustrating things I could mention... I see myself as one of the most proactive licensees locally and I'm vice-chairman of Newark Pubwatch, but they just don't seem to want the night-time industry. If there are tourists they still want places to meet and drink.
"I'm not saying we don't get the odd incident because any pub or restaurant does' but that's down to society... Crime and disorder on the streets is often down to younger teenagers who are nothing to do with the pub."
Last weekend Nottinghamshire Police authorised a dispersal order for Newark town centre to reduce antisocial behaviour. Police said the order was part of an ongoing plan which has already seen improvements in the levels of antisocial behaviour in the town centre.The dispersal order meant police could ask a person to leave the area for up to 48 hours to prevent harassment, alarm, distress, crime or disorder. Anyone who fails to leave when directed can be arrested.
Inspector Heather Sutton, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, said: "Nottinghamshire Police and Newark and Sherwood District Council are committed to a long-term reduction of antisocial behaviour in Newark.
"Together we have already secured community behaviour orders and prosecuted those engaging in criminal and antisocial behaviour. We have put on activities for young people and encouraged them to engage positively in the community.
"We often see antisocial behaviour increase in the summer months and during the school holidays. This order is a preventative tool that can be used to reduce the likelihood of crime or disorder happening in the area."
But Mr Belam described the dispersal order as "overkill" and said a more consistent approach was needed: "One minute there are no police and then they flood the town centre to reassure people. We need a regular presence, not just over one weekend a year."
Councillor David Lloyd, leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council said: "Crime and antisocial behaviour is down across Newark and Sherwood, including the town centre. I support this preventative measure as another means of ensuring that downward trend continues."
