This isn't very exciting at all, and who'd have thought that the Windsor Advertiser has a tighter paywall than the likes of the Times and Daily Telegraph, and that my normal three, er, avenues for getting round paywalls didn't work
Got there in the end, though, and while its relevance to the trade is a bit indirect, and it's really more about licensing hours, it's a pet subject of mine and how it interacts with the trade
Discussions over taxi marshalling as Windsor venue seeks to extend opening hourshttps://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk ... hours.html
Image: Facebook/Windsor AdvertiserThere are no plans for the imminent return of a taxi marshalling system in a popular Windsor nightlife hub despite discussions with officers, a meeting has heard. The news came during a meeting of the Royal Borough’s licensing sub-committee, in which representatives from The Boom Bar in Goswell Hill sought to extend their Thursday and Sunday opening hours.
In what was a fairly uncontroversial application, the bar sought permission to open until 2.30am on the aforementioned days and bank holidays, with time at the bar called at 2am.
Owner Vik Maharaj explained that the premises would still be closing earlier than some of its neighbours, such as Labyrinth which is open until 3.30am seven days a week.
Craig Hawkings, licensing enforcement officer for the council, told panel members that the sub-committee was required after representations from two residents.
He added that the council would have granted permission for the extension had the representations not been made, and that ‘no responsible authorities’ – such as Thames Valley Police – had objected to the plans.
Mr Maharaj added that himself and Atik were part of Windsor’s NTE (night time economy) meetings, although attendance to these meetings from other parties and neighbours was often very low.
He also sought to address concerns over noise pollution raised in the objections with the speaker system within the bar designed by a sound engineer to ensure as much noise from recorded music stayed within the premises.
Cllr Sayonara Luxton (Con, Sunningdale and Cheapside) questioned over the existence of taxi marshalling.
Although it was once in place on Goswell Hill, this patron dispersal system has not returned since the pandemic.
“The taxi marshalling is something that has been under discussion in our [monthly] pub watch meetings,” Mr Maharaj explained.
“The taxi licensing on Goswell Hill has been discussed many times, and we believe that its Paul Roach (Windsor town manager) who is in charge of it.
“Barry [Smithers, manager at The Boom Bar] has spoken to Paul about four or five times to say that we need to get the taxi marshalling back in place, but we’re not getting any concrete answers as to why it’s not in place.”
Mr Maharaj added that it was ‘so much easier when we can guide people down’ to the taxi drivers with a marshal there to assist.
Cllr Luxton said that she believed the system had worked ‘really well’, but responsibility ultimately lied with the council’s licensing department rather than the town manager.
Chair of the panel, Cllr David Cannon (Con, Datchet, Horton & Wraysbury) added that taxi marshalling was a separate issue from the application, and so it would not be judged against the lack of a marshal.
A decision will be issued to The Boom Bar within five working days.
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