Bar opens later despite 'breast jiggling' incident

A bar has been allowed to stay open until the early hours of the morning despite objections from nearby businesses.

The Country Club in Barnsley's Victorian Arcade was permitted by councillors to serve alcohol between 09:00 and 02:00, an increase from the previous 11:00 to 23:00.

The owner of a neighbouring opticians had complained about the plans after an incident in which a woman was caught on the store's CCTV "jiggling her breasts at customers, one of whom was an 85-year-old man", councillors were earlier told.

The club's owners proposed conditions to mitigate concerns and the plans were approved by Barnsley Council's licensing committee.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, at the meeting on Thursday, Phillip Potter, owner of The Spectacle Shop, acknowledged that some behaviour was beyond the bar's control, but said it still contributed to an unsuitable atmosphere.

Mr Potter said noise from Country Club customers continued to affect his business: "Forty per cent of retail sales can be lost from having your windows [and] door closed. If your windows are open, mine have to be closed, because of the noise."

"When The Country Club first opened, we agreed to reduce our opening hours from a 5.30pm close to a 4pm close. We can live with that, but I can't live with an earlier close," he explained.

"We get people coming in with severe problems that can be life-changing, and the environment has to feel right. The reason we closed early is because the environment didn't feel right anymore."

At the meeting, solicitor Michelle Hazlewood, representing bar owners Rebecca and Paul McNicholas, addressed a separate incident, involving a hen party and a blow-up doll, saying those taking part "were not customers of the bar and had merely been passing through the arcade".

Councillors heard that the applicants had proposed conditions to mitigate concerns, such as restricting outdoor music before 17:30, noise monitoring, and staff supervising outside areas in key trading hours.

They also agreed to increase CCTV, introduce a dispersal policy, and maintain open communication with nearby businesses.

An objection from the neighbouring Gallagher's Cafe was withdrawn after the bar proposed the conditions.

A written submission stated that the venue had experienced no police incidents and was involved in local safety schemes such as Purple Flag and Best Bar None.

The meeting was told that the bar's owners had over 20 years of experience operating licensed venues in Barnsley, including Annie Murray's and Pure Pop.

Barnsley Council's licensing regulatory board sub-committee approved The Country Club's application unanimously.

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