Southend park could become 'biggest beer garden in Essex'

Southchurch Park Café has been a family run business since 1992

A park could become the "biggest beer garden in Essex" if it receives permission to sell alcohol, residents fear.

Southchurch Park Café, in Southend, has applied for a premises licence to serve alcohol and to play music during the summer months.

The application received 21 objections from residents living near the park off Shaftesbury Avenue.

Southend Council licensing committee considered the application on Friday.

Resident Mark Alexander shared concerns at the meeting that people would stop visiting their local pub.

He said: "Does it pose the danger, once they have an alcohol license in place, that people will stop going to their local pub because it only has three tables in the beer garden and potentially go to what could become Essex's biggest beer garden with more antisocial behaviour and more noise, even without music?

"It will become a massive beer garden and a flashpoint for antisocial behaviour. With alcohol it's a recipe for disaster."

'Peanuts and a pint'

The applicant said opening hours would be from 10:00 GMT to 20:00 and alcohol would only be sold with food.

Thorpe Ward councillors Martin Terry said: "Are we saying someone comes off the beach and asks for a packet of peanuts and a pint. We need to be specific about that because I don't want this to be used as an excuse to start flogging alcohol."

Café owner Natasha Lovell said she would only serve drinks with food defined as "a substantial meal, including sandwiches".

Under the plans, amplified music would be played on Wednesdays for a maximum of three hours during the school summer holidays and acoustic music would be played once a week from 12noon to 6pm and on Saturday and Sunday for a maximum of four hours from May to September

The council's environmental protection officer, Paul Pearce, said he believed there would be "a very high risk that noise from the performance amplified music and singing will cause a public nuisance".

John Eves, representing Ms Lovell said: "Southchurch Park café has been a family run business since 1992. They only have good intentions to keep the café going and bring more people into the park and use the facilities the wonderful park has to offer."

"In no way do they wish to upset any of its neighbours. It's sad to say that over the years a lot of things have been removed from the park such as county cricket, mini golf, rowing boats and a lot tennis courts. It's Natalie's intention to try and keep the public interested in using the park."

The committee has not yet announced its decision.