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| 800 plus taxis still aint enough for Berwick http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11021 |
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| Author: | captain cab [ Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | 800 plus taxis still aint enough for Berwick |
Nightclub to stay open to 4am CASHMERE nightclub will be allowed to open until 4am on Friday and Saturday nights despite warnings from the police that extended hours will lead to more trouble. The decision to grant the licence extension came after a six-hour meeting of Berwick Borough Council's licensing sub-committee last Thursday. The application from Cashmere's owner Zafer Saygilier was for extended opening hours to 4am every night of the week, but the sub-committee of councillors Jennifer Waterhouse, David Donaldson and John Davidson opted to approve the extension for Fridays, Saturdays, and on Sundays on Bank Holiday weekends. The club will be restricted to just 200 occupants after 2am, the current closing time, and signs will be erected to make customers aware that they can book taxis through the club's staff. Cashmere will also have to give the police 28 days notice of their intention to open until 4am. Mark Butson, representing Mr Saygilier told the committee that licensing laws could not hold Cashmere responsible for the behaviour of customers outwith the premises, adding that door staff had been praised by police for assisting in a number of incidents in Golden Square in the past, possibly even saving the lives of officers on one occasion. He said: "Mr Saygilier's premises are largely devoted to dance, not devoted to people coming in to drink large quantities of alcohol. He thinks he is not going to contribute anything harmful to the community." Graham Duff, counsel for Northumbria Police told the committee: "In Berwick, the inevitable consequence of extended hours will be more trouble, and at a time, 3 or 4am, when any sort of trouble constitutes an additional aggravating feature." He added: "The subtext to our submission is, 'the situation is bad enough, please don't make it worse'." Inspector Martin Baylis also spoke at the meeting, and described the current situation in terms of incidents the police have to deal with in the town at weekends. He said: "It is a serious problem on Saturday nights in particular, and range from a situation where two lads throw some punches to someone being killed or police officers being injured." Two local residents also objected to the application for the extended opening hours. Janet Clare-Dean wrote: "For those of us who live in the centre of town, the noise and disturbance is already interfering with our sleep and living conditions, particularly at weekends. "It is very common on a Friday and Saturday to be kept awake until 3am or longer due to the screams of individuals in the street. General problems also include stones being thrown at windows by drunks who have lost their way, doorbells rung and congregating groups under the Town Hall." She added: "It is often the case that on opening the front door in the morning vomit and deposits from the evening activities have to be cleaned up." Local resident Barbara Herdman also objected, stating that crowds of late night revellers were 'unpleasant and frightening'. In a written objection to the application, Chief Insp Simon Packham of Northumberland Area Command, said: "The police hold the opinion that if the application is granted the general public and neighouring residents are highly likely to suffer as a result." He added: "The application potentially places large numbers of people outside the establishment, where the limited numbers of taxi firms would struggle to cope with the demand between the hours of 4 and 5am. "It is the experience of the police that when large numbers of people, who are under the influence of alcohol, linger for too long in one area violent disputes often ensue." This was also backed up by Insp Baylis, who said: "Crime and disorder will, and that's the practicality of it, increase because of the fact that you allow more time for more alcohol to be consumed." He added that Golden Square had been identified as a 'hot spot' for alcohol related incidents and it is where most police resources are targeted in the early hours of weekends. Insp Baylis also emphasised that police resources were stretched at that time, and that an extension of licensing hours could seriously affect shift changes and officers' ability to adhere to working time regulations. Mr Butson countered, saying: "Surely, given the resources Northumbria Police have, they would be able to deal with two extra hours. Police resources are not finite. They are allocated depending on their requirement. "The police will have to change policy and approach, and the level of disturbance will be no more than it is now." In his closing submission, Mr Butson said: "There has been a very limited number of representations handed in to the committee. From that you can draw the inevitable conclusion that there is no groundswell of opinion about the premises extending their hours. There is a complete lack of any real motivation of anyone to say anything about it." He added: "Mr Saygilier's view is that disorder is simply not going to arise." Mr Duff, presenting his closing submission urged the committee to take into account the 'aggravating effect' of increased alcohol consumption in the town, and the resulting impact on crime and disorder and public nuisance. In returning the decision, chair of the licensing committee, Coun Waterhouse said: "The committee have agreed the extension. We feel we were not given enough evidence that crime and disorder and public nuisance would increase." Coun Waterhouse added that the committee hoped Mr Saygilier would maintain his good relationship with Northumbria Police. |
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| Author: | toots [ Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Oh well that's 2 hours earlier than one of ours was, thankfully they lost their licence to open til 6am last week and now have to close at 4am. Why the police are concerned about the amount of alchohol being consumed is beyond me they should be more worried about the drugs 
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| Author: | bloodnock [ Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:58 am ] |
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I cant see that many Taxi drivers in berwick wanting to stay up an extra couple of hours to service only one of the two berwick night clubs... Im 20 miles away from the place and im B*ggered if im going to stay up that late 3 nights a week just on the chance someone's gonna come crawling home, Kebab in hand and 25% more wrecked than they normally are. I see a lot of stranded revellers ahead... 
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| Author: | grandad [ Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
bloodnock wrote: I cant see that many Taxi drivers in berwick wanting to stay up an extra couple of hours to service only one of the two berwick night clubs...
Im 20 miles away from the place and im B*ggered if im going to stay up that late 3 nights a week just on the chance someone's gonna come crawling home, Kebab in hand and 25% more wrecked than they normally are. I see a lot of stranded revellers ahead... Quite a contradiction there, on one hand you aren't going to stop out on the chance, but on the other hand you say there will be a lot of stranded revellers! |
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| Author: | bloodnock [ Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:45 am ] |
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grandad wrote: bloodnock wrote: I cant see that many Taxi drivers in berwick wanting to stay up an extra couple of hours to service only one of the two berwick night clubs... Im 20 miles away from the place and im B*ggered if im going to stay up that late 3 nights a week just on the chance someone's gonna come crawling home, Kebab in hand and 25% more wrecked than they normally are. I see a lot of stranded revellers ahead... Quite a contradiction there, on one hand you aren't going to stop out on the chance, but on the other hand you say there will be a lot of stranded revellers! Not really a Contradiction..........there will be a lot of stranded revellers relative to the present situation...but there wont be enough of them to justify all local Taxis and PH Operators/drivers staying up til 4 or 5 pm just on spec that theyll pick up any extra business... This is not a huge night club and even at the best of times its hardly worth the staying up for..berwicks not a big town and the potential profits to be had from a couple of short runs to the local lads would hardly make it worth there while... I only do pre booked anyway...so I know for sure that im not going to actively seek work at that time, damn it would cost me more to pay the drivers extra hours than I'd make from the extra runs.. |
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| Author: | toots [ Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:50 am ] |
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It's strange to see how areas are so different throughout the Uk. It's standard here for us to be busy at 4am til 7am with the night crowd. Having said that the way it's going with all the pub closures and a couple of club closures I think this time next year my town will be looking mighty different, but, then I suppose things can only get better from there on in 
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| Author: | edders23 [ Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
bloodnock wrote: I cant see that many Taxi drivers in berwick wanting to stay up an extra couple of hours to service only one of the two berwick night clubs...
Im 20 miles away from the place and im B*ggered if im going to stay up that late 3 nights a week just on the chance someone's gonna come crawling home, Kebab in hand and 25% more wrecked than they normally are. I see a lot of stranded revellers ahead... Careful thats usually a cue for an invasion of asian taxi drivers they like working the late nights because theres more oportunity to overcharge drunken customers ! |
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| Author: | mznutty1 [ Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:22 am ] |
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Does Berwick really have 800 licenced drivers? Or do you mean Berwick council have issued 800 plates...but most of them dont wish to travel all the way from Newcastle/Gateshead to pick up stranded revellers in Berwick 
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| Author: | captain cab [ Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:56 am ] |
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mznutty1 wrote: Does Berwick really have 800 licenced drivers?
Or do you mean Berwick council have issued 800 plates...but most of them dont wish to travel all the way from Newcastle/Gateshead to pick up stranded revellers in Berwick Its a fair guess if they have 800 licensed HC's.....those HC's can only be driven by Berwick licensed drivers 
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| Author: | volvoman [ Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:58 pm ] |
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mznutty1 wrote: Does Berwick really have 800 licenced drivers? Good point. Most of these "Berwick Licensed Taxis" are either hacking the bollocks off Newcastle City Centre, (just have a look on the corner of Marlborough Crescent or alongside Pizza Hut) or working (ostensibly) as Private Hire from offices at the lower end of the market who are Licensed as Operators by Newcastle,Gateshead, Derwentside or North Tyneside. The majority of these drivers would not even know how to get to Berwick, never mind navigate the surrounding areas but are quite happy to take work that should be done by local licensed drivers.
Or do you mean Berwick council have issued 800 plates...but most of them dont wish to travel all the way from Newcastle/Gateshead to pick up stranded revellers in Berwick I asked one of these morons one day how much it would cost to go to Hide Hill. He looked at me as if I had just landed from Mars before giving the obligatory reply of "Where's that at mate"? ...... "BERWICK" !!! I said.
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