Agenda item

Neos 99 Limited (previously known as Rekom B Limited) has made an application to vary the premises licence at Cameo, Fir Vale Road, Bournemouth.

This matter is brought before the Sub-Committee for determination.

Present:

From BCP Council:

Sarah Rogers – Principal Licensing Officer

Linda Cole – Legal Advisor to the Sub-Committee

Jill Holyoake – Clerk to the Sub-Committee

The Chair made introductions and explained the procedure for the hearing which was agreed by all parties.  

The Principal Licensing Officer presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated and a copy of which appears as Appendix A to these minutes in the Minute Book.

The Sub Committee was asked to consider an application for a full variation of the premises licence as detailed in the report, for the premises known as Cameo, Fir Vale Road, Bournemouth BH1 2JA. In response to the application representations had been received from five persons objecting on the grounds that to grant the application would undermine the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety and the prevention of public nuisance licensing objectives. The Sub Committee was advised that the representation listed in Appendix 4 of the report as Objector #5 had been withdrawn on 1 October 2025. No representations were received from the Responsible Authorities.

Following publication of the Officer’s report, further documentation was provided on behalf of the applicant, a copy of which appears as Appendix B to these minutes in the Minute Book. This included copies of the proposed queue management and dispersal policies. Subsequently, further comments were submitted by Objector #1, a copy of which appears as Appendix C to these minutes in the Minute Book.

The following persons attended the hearing and addressed the Sub- Committee to expand on the points made in written submissions:

• Piers Warne, TLT Solicitors, on behalf of the applicant
• Mark Fear, Designated Premises Supervisor
• Jason Ash, Operations Manager

There were no objectors present.

The Sub Committee asked various questions of all parties present and were grateful for the responses received. All parties had the opportunity to ask questions. All parties were invited to sum up before the Sub-Committee retired to make its decision. Before concluding the hearing, the Legal Advisor advised all parties of the right of appeal.

RESOLVED that the application to vary the premises licence for the premises known as Cameo, Fir Vale Road, Bournemouth BH1 2JA, dated 14 August 2025 be granted as follows:

Layout to be amended to make the following changes:

 1. Reduce the size of the premises by removing the back half

2. Internal refurbishment

3. Relocation of entrance to Glen Fern Road (upon grant of this application the address shall be changed to Cameo, Glen Fern Road, Bournemouth, BH1 2LZ).

Conditions to be added to the premises licence to further promote the licensing objectives as offered in section M of the application and set out in the Licensing Officer’s report to the Sub-Committee.

1. No drinks will be permitted in the smoking area. The DPS/ general manager will risk assess (in writing) the number of smokers permitted at any one time and in particular at noise sensitive times and the number identified will be maintained. The risk assessment will be made available to the Responsible Authorities on request.

2. The designated queuing area shall be enclosed within appropriate barriers to ensure that the footway is kept clear

3. All staff engaged outside the entrance to the premises, or supervising or controlling queues shall wear high visibility yellow jackets or vests

4. The premises shall maintain membership of the Townwatch scheme (or any successor scheme) a senior member of staff shall attend all Townwatch meetings unless an emergency arises preventing such attendance and the premises will support Townwatch initiatives

5. A direct telephone number for the manager at the premises shall be publicly available at all times the premises is open

6. This telephone number is to be made available to residents and businesses in the vicinity

7. The premises shall maintain a written dispersal policy

8. A copy of the policy shall be made available to the licensing authority and authorised officer of the responsible authorities on request

9. The dispersal policy shall include (but not limited to) the following:

a. During the last thirty minutes of trading - volume levels shall be reduced and the music tempo slowed, lighting levels shall be raised to encourage the gradual dispersal of patrons during the last part of trading.

b. DJ announcements shall be used to both encourage a gradual dispersal and to remind customers of consideration to neighbours.

c. Notices shall be displayed in prominent positions at the exit of the premises requesting customers to leave quietly.

d. During the closure of the premises the Premises Licence Holder shall provide SIA registered security staff, wearing hi-vis arm-bands, jackets or vests, externally to assist with managing customers leaving the vicinity of the premises. Any customers congregating or loitering outside after the premises has closed shall be encouraged to depart quickly and quietly.

e. Security staff shall supervise customers leaving the premises for at least an additional 15 minutes after the conclusion of licensable activities or until persons are dispersed from the immediate area.

f. Door supervisors shall receive training to familiarise them with the dispersal procedure.

g. Training records regarding the dispersal procedure shall be maintained and shall be signed and dated by the member of staff receiving the training. Records of training shall be kept on the premises for 12 months and made available immediately to Police or representatives of the Licensing Authority upon request.

Further conditions offered by the Applicant in their supplementary documentation which was published on 30 September 2025.

10.      Any queue to enter the premises which forms outside the premises is supervised by door staff with the responsibility of encouraging customers to queue in a considerate and orderly manner so as to prevent public nuisance or obstruction to the public highway.

11.      A representative of the premises shall, at the request of the ward Councillor or local residents meet with the local residents on a monthly basis. A representative from the licensing authority and relevant responsible authorities will be invited to any meetings that are held.

Reasons for Decision

The Sub-Committee carefully considered all the information submitted prior to the hearing, contained in the report for Agenda Item 5 which included the applicant’s application to vary and written representations from four objectors. The Sub-Committee also considered the supplementary information provided by the Applicant and Objector 1 and the verbal submissions made at the hearing by:

·       Sarah Rogers (Principal Licensing Officer)

·       Piers Warne (TLT Solicitors, on behalf of the applicant)

·       Mark Fear (Designated Premises Supervisor)

·       Jason Ash (Operations Manager)

The Sub Committee was grateful to the premises’ representatives for their comprehensive responses to questions.

Although no objectors were present at the hearing, the Sub-Committee gave full consideration to the written representations submitted. These raised concerns that granting the application would undermine the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder, ensuring public safety, and preventing public nuisance. The objections primarily focused on the impact of relocating the premises’ entrance to Glen Fern Road, particularly on residents of St Peter’s Court, some of whom are elderly and vulnerable. Residents reported experiencing anti-social behaviour, noise, and disruption, sometimes as late as 6:00am, hearing loud music, noise from groups gathering and cars waiting in the adjacent car park, vehicles revving and racing in Glen Fern Road, intoxicated individuals shouting and fighting, and disputes over taxis.

The Sub-Committee noted that, following the refusal of a previous minor variation application, the applicant engaged with the Licensing Authority, Dorset Police, and Environmental Health to discuss the proposals in more detail. As a result, several additional conditions were offered in the full variation application. It was further noted that both Dorset Police and Environmental Health had been consulted and had no concerns to the proposed new entrance on Glen Fern Road. Neither Dorset Police nor Environmental Health made a representation to the application.

The Sub-Committee welcomed the applicant’s proactive approach in seeking to address residents’ concerns. The premises appeared to be professionally managed by experienced staff committed to upholding the licensing objectives.

Queue and noise management during entry and dispersal were actively overseen by door staff, in line with written policies. Measures such as an online ticketing system and phased dispersal were in place to manage crowd control. On busy nights, the premises employed a minimum of nine security staff. Internally, a triple-door sound lobby had been installed as part of the refurbishment to mitigate noise escape. The Principal Licensing Officer confirmed that during a recent Purple Flag accreditation visit, no music was audible outside the premises, indicating the effectiveness of the soundproofing.

The Sub-Committee acknowledged that many of the reported issues such as anti-social behaviour and noise were pre-existing and not directly attributable to the premises. Glen Fern Road is a busy thoroughfare in the nighttime economy, frequently used as a cut-through to Old Christchurch Road. The adjacent public car park serves patrons of various town centre venues, many of whom are unconnected to the premises and may return after its closing time (typically between 3:00am and 3:30am).

It was thought that the visible presence of door staff outside the premises may, in fact, deter poor behaviour in the area. The Sub-Committee heard of several instances where staff had intervened in incidents unrelated to the premises and, where appropriate, promptly reported matters to the police.

In response to questions, the Sub-Committee was assured that local residents and ward councillors could report concerns directly to the premises. These are logged and responded to appropriately. Since the refurbishment, only one complaint had been received from St Peter’s Court. Conditions on the premises licence now require a direct contact number to be available to residents and businesses whenever the premises is open, and for a representative to meet with local residents monthly upon request.

In conclusion, the Sub-Committee was satisfied that the applicant had taken significant steps to address noise concerns and demonstrated a responsible and proactive approach to managing the premises. While the premises are not responsible for all the noise and anti-social behaviour in the immediate area, it is clear they are committed to being a good neighbour and engaging constructively with the local community.

The Sub-Committee was therefore satisfied that, provided the premises operate in accordance with the conditions now on its Licence, the licensing objectives should not be undermined, and the application was accordingly granted. It was noted however that a review of the premises licence may be sought at any time by a Responsible Authority or any other person should future issues arise that may undermine the licensing objectives.

In reaching this decision, the Sub-Committee had regard to the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council Licensing Policy, the Secretary of State’s revised guidance, and the licensing objectives set out in the Licensing Act 2003.

All parties have the right to appeal this decision to the Magistrates’ Court within 21 days of receiving written notification from the Licensing Authority.