Residents oppose plans for fish and chip shop to sell alcohol

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A number of residents opposed plans for Cardiff Bay’s first fish and chip shop in years to sell alcohol, saying their vehicle entrance is already being used as a urinal.

Cardiff Council’s licensing sub-committee approved a licensing application made by Charley’s Traditional Fish & Chips to sell alcohol at their new premises in Bute Crescent from 10am to 11pm.

A number of residents living at the nearby Quayside apartments objected to the plan saying there are already enough licensed premises in the area and that having another could create an issue with anti-social behaviour.

Representing the applicant Tony Bowley said the owner of the fish and chip takeaway is an experienced licensed premises operator and called their proposals modest, adding that they will be the first in the immediate area to stop serving alcohol in the evenings.

Conditions

South Wales Police withdrew their initial objections to the application after the applicants agreed to a set of conditions.

One resident of Quayside wrote to the council: “The proposed premises are situated in extremely close proximity to residential dwellings, estimated to be within 20ft of a living room window.”

There are two other licensed premises next to the flats and both have beer gardens, according to the resident.

They added: “The addition of another establishment attracting late-night drinkers, operating seven days a week, will significantly exacerbate the existing noise pollution experienced by residents.

“While the premises are marketed as a ‘traditional’ fish and chip shop the sale of alcohol is not a customary feature of such establishments and is not necessary to fulfill its advertised purpose.

“The Cardiff Bay area attracts a high volume of visitors; however, the provision of waste disposal facilities is inadequate.

“The granting of an off-sales licence will undoubtedly lead to an increase in littering, particularly of bottles and plastic glasses.

“Furthermore, the absence of public toilets in the immediate area results in the frequent use of the Quayside vehicle entrance as a urinal, causing significant distress to residents.

“Increased alcohol consumption facilitated by an additional licensed premises will inevitably exacerbate this unsanitary problem.”

Toilets

Mr Bowley confirmed toilets are included in the plan for Charley’s and suggested residents should be comforted from a public order point of view after the recent Wales vs England rugby game.

He said: “If anything could have gone wrong it would have gone wrong last weekend.”

One resident of Quayside, Liz Hawkins, said one of her concerns was that the area around the residential apartments is “such a confined area” that’s already surrounded by a number of licensed premises.

Another resident, Emily Sadler, said: “I don’t feel that a fish and chip takeaway on what is already a busy place… is [a premises] that requires an alcohol licence.”

She went on to claim that another establishment in Cardiff Bay, Demiro’s, which the owner of Charley’s is also behind, has gone against its licence in the past by causing noise disturbance beyond 11pm.

Mr Bowley disputed this claim, adding: “We challenge that. We say that the amplified music comes from another restaurant at night.”

He went on to say that residents in Quayside “live in a very busy and vibrant area of the city” and that “this is where [they have] chosen to live”.

It’s been years since Cardiff Bay has had a fish and chip shop. Mr Bowley said the area hasn’t had one since Top Gun closed in 2016.

The licensing application also proposed for Charley’s to be open from Monday to Sunday between the hours of 10am and 11.30pm.