Protests over restaurant’s late licence rejected

A POPULAR Italian restaurant has been granted longer drinking hours despite protests from town councillors.

Durham County Council sub-licensing committee took less than ten minutes to grant Il Palazzo, in Barnard Castle, permission to serve drinks until 1am on Friday and Saturday nights at a meeting on Monday afternoon (November 20). Petra Macdonald, assistant manager of the restaurant, was happy with the decision.

She said: “We are hoping it will benefit our customers. We are very much aware of being considerate to the care home.

“We are looking to extend our market and we feel there is room for that.”

Fears of nuisance and noise at later hours triggered the initial objection from Barnard Castle Town Council.

Restaurant owner Kamal Alley shifted his hours from 2am serving alcohol to 1am with a 1.30am closing time to meet the needs of Durham Police. But the town council maintained its stance.

Town clerk Michael King told the sub-committee the proximity of the restaurant to three care homes, as well as the adjacent Beaconsfield care home, would make the extended hours unsuitable.

He added: “The town council supports the business and restaurant in its current location with its current hours. But its concern is extension of those hours would have the potential to attract people to drink late into the evening.”

However. Ms Macdonald pointed to the good relationship it had with two taxi firms in the town, its clean record when it came to complaints and the door staff the restaurant had planned.

She added: “To date, in the three years we have been trading, we have not had any complaints.

“Most of our customers are very orderly and always leave very quietly. We have an agreement with two local taxi companies that they will respond very fast in taking our customers home or to their hotel.”

Social media was awash with dozens of messages of support for Il Palazzo in the wake of initial objections from the town’s planning committee. Views against the change were just as strong at the town council last week.

Town mayor Sandra Moorhouse said: “You are not going to get anyone to start a meal at that time. “It’s taking what we’ve got from the town where they are all together and the police can monitor it if required.”

Cllr George Hallimond said: “Late at night people get too much drink on board and start shouting and screaming – it’s the wrong part of town for it. There are enough places in the town as it is. We have enough riots down the town on Friday and Saturday night.” But the county council’s sub committee deemed the new hours were acceptable this week. Chairwoman Cllr Pauline Crathorne said: “There has been no substantial evidence of noise and nuisance at this present time and there has been no formal objection from Environmental Health.”