Planned Cowes Sushi Restaurant Granted Premises Licence Despite Objections

A planned sushi restaurant in an Isle of Wight coastal town has been granted a premises licence.

An application for The Bath House on Park Road in Cowes was approved by a licensing sub committee at County Hall this week, subject to conditions.

Speaking in favour of the bid, Mike Christie said he was trying to do something that will ‘make a difference’ to Cowes and added it was not in his interest for it to ‘become a nuisance’.

However, the council received 13 objections during the consultation period and at the committee on Tuesday (May 5), Councillor Richard Hollis raised concerns on behalf of Cowes Town Council which previously objected.

A licence issued under Section 18 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows the use of premises for the sale or supply of alcohol, the provision of regulated entertainment and the provision of late-night refreshment.

The new licence listed on County Hall’s website includes the indoor sale of alcohol on the premises from Monday to Sunday between 10am and 11pm.

Opening hours are from 6.45am to 11.30pm. Conditions attached to the licence include that alcohol shall only be sold or supplied to people purchasing food on the premises, a ‘Challenge 25’ proof of age policy being in place and the operation of a CCTV system.

Mr Hollis said Mr Christie was not at Cowes Town Council’s licensing committee which he added did not wish to ‘stifle enterprise’ or a ‘good idea’.

“This is a new enterprise and venue moving into a residential area,” he said.

“It’s not like an existing pub where people move by the pub, and they know the pub’s there.

“This is moving into a residential area. So, I think it has to be treated very much with kid gloves.

"Residents’ concerns were about noise, sleep disturbance for not only adults, elderly and for children.”

He said the appreciation of what noise does to health is ‘growing rapidly’ and cited the premises closing due to noise when it was a public toilet.

Mr Hollis remarked that the building is in a ‘sort of bowl’, with noise tending to go across towards the residential area.

The town council committee sympathised with residents due to noise seeming to be a growing problem, the councillor added.

Mr Christie told the meeting:

“I appreciate all the objectors’ concerns, and it means everything to me that I’ve got the community on board and it’s not in my interest to do anything otherwise.

“The Cowes Town Council meeting – I wasn’t aware that I was able to attend.

"Had you offered an invite to me, I would have absolutely been there and happily met with you and discussed it.

“It’s just not in my interest for it to become a nuisance. If I’m causing nuisance, of course I will do everything I can to avoid that, I will then change things to make sure it fits in where it is and that it is an appropriate site.”

He said he wants to see what is ‘currently an eyesore’ turn into something that looks ‘really beautiful’ and will be a ‘real enhancement’ to the community rather than causing any nuisance.