Licensing Objection on Battersea Rise - Please help us and object to the Council! Post Reply

[pjackson]

[font][font][font][font]Sorry for the big blast, but we need help! The Humble Grape (2 Battersea Rise) has applied for licensing to operate an offsite restaurant / bar in the United Reformed church parking lot that is across Lavender Walk (access road) from its Battersea establishment.　[/font][/font][/font][/font][font][font]We have historically been enormous fans of Humble Grape (we’ve been neighbours and friends of the owners for 10+ years and are even ‘friends& family’ investors) but we are deeply disappointed by and decidedly opposed to this plan. This scheme will clearly have an enormous negative impact on us and the neighbourhood. Our house is adjacent to the proposed site. We are reaching out, though, because we believe that the damage is not just contained to us, and invite you to join us in opposing if you are concerned about:　[/font][/font][font][font]A general increase of crime and disorder around Battersea Rise　[/font][/font][font][font]The health and safety of the employees or patrons of Humble Grape　[/font][/font][font][font]The prevention of additional public nuisance on Battersea Rise from music, litter and light pollution　[/font][/font][font][font]The safety of the children attending Marmalade Cat nursery　[/font][/font][font][font]The safety of your children playing at our house　[/font][/font][font][font]Currently the council is asking that all objections be received by 1 August and addressed to　[/font][/font][font][font]"licensing@wandsworth.gov.uk" We urge you to respond by that date! I have asked that they move this out given that a legible notice only went up on 18 July but they have not confirmed that they would change this. Please go ahead and forward / post this content to any individual, group, organisation or social media site you feel can help stop this scheme from moving forward.This is to object to the licensing application. We have not seen a notice for the necessary planning permission to convert the property from it's current classification to an A3/A4 classification (restaurants/cafes/bars/pubs). We will investigate why this isn't forthcoming and actively protest that application, too.　[/font][/font][font][font]The council has already received a few objections to this application and has set a representation date for either 22 or 23 August. I've asked that they push it back to September when more affected parties are here to participate. I've made the point that timing this application submission, notice period and representation to all fall exactly during the school summer holidays feels designed to limit public participation. But they have not confirmed that they would change these dates.　[/font][/font][font][font]We'd really appreciate it if you could file an objection with the council before 1 August. 　[/font][/font][font][font]If you're interested, you can also reach out to our local councillors:　[/font][/font][font][font]Guy Senior @ EMAIL GSeniorcllr@wandsworth.gov.uk 　[/font][/font][font][font]And　[/font][/font][font][font]Hugh Byrne @ EMAIL Cllr.H.Byrne@wandsworth.gov.uk　[/font][/font][font][font]PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THIS TEMPLATE TO OBJECT AND DELETE ANY AREA WHICH DOES NOT APPLY TO OR RESONATE WITH YOU　[/font][/font][font][font]We ,                               living at                               in the borough of Wandsworth would like to strenuously object to the Humble Grape application to license the church parking lot (belonging to the United Reform church located at 1 Altenburg Gardens, but located at Lavender Walk) to ‘Supply of alcohol, provision of late night refreshment, live music, recorded music.　[/font][/font][font][font]we’ve organised our objectives according to the Licensing Act 2003 which requires the Licensing Authority to uphold four equally important licensing objectives when carrying out its licensing functions.
OBJECT WITH THESE REASONS IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AN INCREASE IN CRIME AND DISORDER AROUND BATTERSEA RISE:
The prevention of crime and disorder: for example drug-related problems, disorder, drunkenness and anti-social behaviour 　[/font][/font][font][font]The very nature of this establishment (a wine bar) will increase drunkenness and the likelihood of anti-social behaviour including loud / lairy conduct, vomiting & public urination.　[/font][/font][font][font]The fact that the wine bar will exist on both sides of a road will increase the likelihood of additional pedestrians standing on the road linking the two sides of the Humble Grape.　[/font][/font][font][font]OBJECT WITH THESE REASONS IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE EMPLOYEES OR PATRONS OF HUMBLE GRAPE Public safety: the physical safety of people using the venue.　[/font][/font][font][font]It's unsafe for the employees who will be required to constantly cross an access road (with 110+ residences and 5+ businesses with legitimate access in addition to other services) carrying food, plates, glasses and glass bottles　[/font][/font][font][font]It’s unsafe for the patrons who will be regularly crossing the same road to use the facilities (and in almost all instances after consuming alcohol) and for other reasons　[/font][/font][font][font]OBJECTION SPECIFIC TO RESIDENTS / BUSINESSES WITH DRIVING ACCESS TO LAVENDER WALK　[/font][/font][font][font]Because of the increased levels of inebriated patrons and distracted employees regularly crossing Lavender Walk, it creates a very unsafe environment for us to legitmately access our property by car on Lavender Walk.　[/font][/font][font][font]OBJECT WITH THESE REASONS IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PREVENTION OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC NUISANCE ON BATTERSEA RISE FROM MUSIC, LITTER AND LIGHT POLLUTION　[/font][/font][font][font]The prevention of public nuisance: for example noise from music, litter and light pollution.　[/font][/font][font][font]The noise from daily & constant music .　[/font][/font][font][font]The protection of children from harm: including moral, psychological and physical harm response for specific hours) will damage the amenity of all local residents.　[/font][/font][font][font]The outdoor eating will cause food remains on the property where there currently is none. This will increase the existing issues the Humble Grape has with rodents (sighted by multiple residents in the area of their rubbish bins on Lavender Walk).　[/font][/font][font][font]The additional tables will cause more litter to be produced and increase the existing issues the Humble Grape has with effectively managing its rubbish. These same issues cause the rodent problem which in turn damages the amenity of all local residents (and public passers-by)　[/font][/font][font][font]the installation of lights to allow for evening operation will constitute significant light pollution and damage the amenity of all local residents. The two parking spaces are currently unlit, and by their very nature produce no noise.　[/font][/font][font][font]the protection of children from harm: including moral, psychological and physical harm 　[/font][/font][font][font]OBJECT WITH THESE REASONS IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF MARMALADE CAT NURSERY SCHOOL CHILDREN　[/font][/font][font][font]The hours of operation (see below) overlap with the hours where the church is operating as a nursery school (Marmalade Cat) with more than forty 2-, 3- and 4-year olds in attendance. This will increase the opportunity to expose these nursery children to: 　[/font][/font][font][font]Drunken, immoral behaviour caused by inebriated customers　[/font][/font][font][font]Second hand smoke and cigarette butts 　[/font][/font][font][font]Noise pollution from recorded music　[/font][/font][font][font]Noise pollution from loud seated patrons consuming alcohol, laughing & talking loudly　[/font][/font][font][font]The license to supply alcohol, provision of late night refreshment, live music and recorded music’ in these car parking spots which are 8 inches away from the full length of our back garden will cause constant and substantial practical damage to the amenity of our children.These damages are as follows:　[/font][/font][font][font]The increased opportunity for second hand smoke to infiltrate the garden and homes of Altenburg Gardens and damage our children's lungs. Currently, the patrons of the Humble Grape who wish to smoke, step out of the Humble Grape front door, on the other side of the road and smoke there. This is a full 20 feet away from the property and the second-hand smoke dissipates before reaching the property line. Introducing seated patrons at the property line will vastly increase the likelihood of smoke entering the garden and home. No mitigating action will curb this. If management succeeds in preventing every single smoker (highly unlikely) from smoking on the church property, those smokers need only step one foot onto the road (equally close to the property line) and smoke there. The net effect of smoke in the garden, kitchen, family room and bedrooms will be the same. The damage to our children is guaranteed.　[/font][/font][font][font]The noise pollution from ‘recorded music’ for 10 hours a day 4-days-a-week and 6 hours a day 3-days-a-week (Application states: Monday 4pm-10pm, Tuesday 4pm-10pm, Wednesday 4pm-10pm, Thursday 12pm-10pm, Friday 12pm-10pm, Saturday 11am-10pm and Sunday 12pm-9pm) will cause an extreme loss of amenity to our children's ability to enjoy one's home. More severely, this constant noise pollution will prevent them from sleeping 　[/font][/font][font][font]The noise pollution from a group of seated patrons consuming alcohol, laughing and talking loudly to be heard over the traffic noise of the A3 will cause an extreme loss of amenity for our children in their own home.　[/font][/font][font][font]The light pollution caused by the installation of lights for evening use will keep our children awake at night .　[/font][/font][font][font]The increased opportunity for Humble Grape patrons to throw cigarette butts over the walls and into the adjacent gardens. Touching or consuming these will cause irreputable damage to the health of our children. 　[/font][/font][font][font]Our children regularly play ball games (tennis, football, volleyball & cricket). Balls are always flying out of the garden on all three sides – to date they have gone and collected these with little to no likelihood of personal or property harm to others. Likewise, on hot summer days the children play with water guns and sprinklers which easily reach over all three walls. Converting the parking spaces to outdoor restaurant seating will put the Humble Grape customers and staff at significant personal risk of injury. It will also put their property at significant risk. Clearly our children cannot be held liable for these actions and any attempt to limit their ability to play would constitute another grievous damage to their amenity. In addition, there is a substantial potential for disorder and harm to our children by retaliation from potentially inebriated, Humble Grape customers[/font][/font]

[NVHusband]

Uhm
This is a mind dump of information and got bored reading.
I lost you after the umpteenth non existent paragraph.

Some useful advise... try be concise to get your message across.

Btw. Humble Grape is one of my favourite restaurants!

[pjackson]

Fair point.
There was too much there.
To summarise
The Humble Grape (2 Battersea Rise) has applied for licensing to operate an offsite restaurant / bar in the United Reformed church parking lot that is across Lavender Walk (access road) from its Battersea establishment. This scheme will clearly have an enormous negative impact on the adjacent properties and the neighbourhood. We invite you to join us in opposing if you are concerned about:　
A general increase of crime and disorder around Battersea Rise　
The health and safety of the employees or patrons of Humble Grape. They would need to cross a road to serve drinks and patrons would need to cross the road to use the facilities.
The prevention of additional public nuisance on Battersea Rise from music, litter and light pollution
The safety of children attending Marmalade Cat Nursery 
An increase in smoking and associated issues
[font]PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THIS TEMPLATE TO OBJECT AND DELETE ANY AREA WHICH DOES NOT APPLY TO OR RESONATE WITH YOU　and send to [/font][font][font][font][font]licensing@wandsworth.gov.uk[/font][/font][/font][/font][font]We ,                               living at                               in the borough of Wandsworth would like to strenuously object to the Humble Grape application to license the church parking lot (belonging to the United Reform church located at 1 Altenburg Gardens, but located at Lavender Walk) to ‘Supply of alcohol, provision of late night refreshment, live music, recorded music.

We’ve organised our objectives according to the Licensing Act 2003 which requires the Licensing Authority to uphold four equally important licensing objectives when carrying out its licensing functions.
OBJECT IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AN INCREASE IN CRIME AND DISORDER AROUND BATTERSEA RISE:
OBJECT IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE EMPLOYEES OR PATRONS OF HUMBLE GRAPE　[/font][font]OBJECTION SPECIFIC TO RESIDENTS / BUSINESSES WITH DRIVING ACCESS TO LAVENDER WALK　[/font][font]OBJECT IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PREVENTION OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC NUISANCE ON BATTERSEA RISE FROM MUSIC, LITTER AND LIGHT POLLUTION　　[/font][font]OBJECT IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF MARMALADE CAT NURSERY SCHOOL CHILDREN　[/font]
If you're interested, you can also reach out to our local councillors:　
Guy Senior @ EMAIL [font]GSeniorcllr@wandsworth.gov.uk[/font] 　and
Hugh Byrne @ EMAIL [font]Cllr.H.Byrne@wandsworth.gov.uk[/font]
 [font][font][font][font][font][font][font][font][font]___[/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font]

[Gayville]

I love Humble Grape, it's a lovely independent restaurant bar, and to be honest think you are scaremongering, and this is just an example of outright Nimbyism at its worst

I'm sorry but the type of clientele that frequents the Humble Grape is hardly the type to  indulge in "loud and lairy conduct, vomiting & public urination"

You profess to be concerned about "the health and welfare of Marmalade nursery children" - well they are not going to be at nursery in the evening to encounter all these lairy drunks displaying "immoral behaviour" then anyway, are they? Or having their lungs polluted by cigarette smoke for that matter. 

And you allege that the location will make it "unsafe for the patrons who will be regularly crossing the same road to use the facilities (and in almost all instances after consuming alcohol)" - err, they are adults, what about personal choice and responsibility? 

As for noise pollution - well you already live on the flipping A3 with traffic roaring by at all hours, it's hardly a tranquil sanctuary. Some music might be an improvement on the existing sound pollution!

Anyway, I for one won't be signing this objection, hope Humble Grape manages to get the application passed. 

[sw11_]

Well said Gayville!

[Libs]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. You make some very fair points and I too will be objecting.

[reggieb]

Really?? The “dangerous” road the poor staff would be forced to cross is just a road full of garages. In the 10 years I’ve lived here, have seen maybe 3 cars drive down it. There’s a lot of hand-wringing here and I can’t quite figure out why, as none of the reasons you’ve given for your objections are reasonable in the slightest. In the current economic climate where we’re blighted with empty shop fronts all over the place, I’m thrilled to hear Humble Grape are doing so well and will be making our community more vibrant and lively. I for one will be voicing my support for this, and hope they get it passed!

[reggieb]

Sorry, have just re-read the bit about the secondhand smoke damaging your children’s lungs honestly!! If you’re *that* concerned about air quality for your dear little ones, can I suggest not living in the A3 (as Gayville has pointed out!) or even not living in London, where the air quality has just been reported as being so bad that it’s equivalent to smoking 850 packs of cigarettes a year! Do you also protest every time a bus passes by you on the pavement??

[Daenarys]

The last paragraph is priceless  Are you seriously suggesting that patrons would be at risk of injury from your children's water guns and sprinklers? What do they put in them, acid? People might indeed want to think twice before letting their children play at your clearly dangerous house 

As for ball games, I'm afraid that you could indeed be held responsible for damage or injury caused by a stray cricket ball etc, whether it's hit into a church car park or an outdoor restaurant. That argument is pointless anyway, since presumably there are churchgoers and parked cars in the car park at various times in the day, when your children should be more likely to play outside than after dark.

Just because you've been considering the car park an extension of your private garden doesn't mean that you have a right to do so forever. As for "any attempt to limit their ability to play would constitute another grievous damage to their amenity" - um no, it wouldn't. They can play however they (and you) see fit in your own garden, but that right doesn't extend to neighbouring properties. 

Just out of curiosity: are you American? Something about the way you go on about your "rights" seems to suggest this - never mind the giveaway expression "parking lot".

(I've now got Joni Mitchell singing in my head:
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot...)
 

[Mamamiasu]

I too am a massive fan of Humble Grape but people, if you lived on a residential road and had a pop up opening virtually in your back garden you too would raise concerns. And quite what's to be gained from a space that can barely have two cars parked in it, I do not know!! Choosing to live in a vibrant area is one thing, having an outdoor bar open on your door step is quite another and for this reason I too have raised objection.