Late night drinking bid for York

Bar 38, one of York's newest venues, has applied for permission to extend its opening times from midnight every day.

If accepted, the bar's management would then need to apply to licensing magistrates for permission to serve alcohol into the morning.

Although City of York Council officers have voiced concern, councillors have been advised to give the scheme the go-ahead on a one-year basis.

David Johnson, the city's former development officer who has been dealing with the application, said he could see no reason why the late night opening was needed.

And he was concerned that acceptance would create a precedent which would be followed by other pubs and bars.

He said: "Licensing and the police have a policy to limit opening hours in public houses to normal permitted hours and that any relaxation should come from any licensing reform at a national level.

"York has no infrastructure to support a late night economy and the potential of precedent is to be resisted.

"No-one from the company can tell me what precisely the late night proposals are for."

But, despite his concerns, he recommends that the application is accepted for one year while its impact on the city is monitored.

Licensing officers say it would still need to be considered by them before it is allowed.

PC David Boag, York licensing officer, said: "It will be looked at by the planning committee, but Bar 38's management will then need to apply through the normal licensing channels.

"It hasn't come through us yet, but we will look at it if it does."

At the moment, some pubs are able to open until midnight as part of a Millennium festival, which ends on August 28.

PC Boag said: "That late opening has been running very, very successfully and public order disturbances haven't been a problem."

Mr Johnson recommends that a condition of acceptance is that windows and doors must be kept shut to minimise noise.

adam.nichols@ycp.co.uk