SOUTH Parade Resident’s Committee has defended it’s decision to seek revocation of South Parade Club’s licence.
Mendip District Council suspended South Parade Club’s licence following complaints by local residents that the club has failed to comply with the terms of its licence led to an investigation.
The residents’ committee said, “At the review meeting, the spokesperson for the club freely admitted that the club were responsible for many of the breaches and agreed the committee had fallen short of its obligations.”
The club’s committee and members of the Frome community has voiced its dismay that people would want to have the club which has been in existence for over 100 years, closed down.
However the residents committee object to this, saying, “South Parade residents have never sought closure of the club, but over nine years of poor enforcement have left us with few options other than to seek revocation of the licence, in the hope that a new and proactive committee can run the club in compliance with its licence.”
There have also been comments about the club providing a place for charities to run their support groups and events and if it is closed, they will have nowhere to go. Again, the residents’ committee does not agree. They said, “The club’s attempt to invoke its charitable activities as a means of smearing the residents is unpleasant and offensive, particularly as some residents actually work for charities.”
They continued, “If the club had spent as much energy on fulfilling the terms of its licence as it has on its media campaign and petitions, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.
“Other clubs and pubs in our town accept that their licences are enforceable and respect their neighbours; other clubs and pubs don’t protest that neighbours should just put up with abuse, disturbance and even violence outside their homes, so why should the South Parade Club be the exception? Our town deserves better than that.”
