Application For Transfer Of Hotel Licence

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28491, 22 January 1958, Page 7

Application For Transfer Of Hotel Licence

Evidence for and against the transfer of the licence of the Saxon Hotel from Norwich quay, . Lyttelton, to 408 Ferry road was by the Lyttelton Licensing Committee with Mr Rex C. Abernethy. S.M., as chairman, in the jfagist rate s Court yesterday. • Objections to the transfer were • received from 29 Woolston resist dents, on the grounds that the licence was not required, that the < proposed site was near churches tnd a school and that the quiet » of the area would be disturbed. * fifteen Lyttelton residents * opposed the transfer of the licence. Robert Samuel Stafford, licensee .of the Woolston Hotel, and Herf bert Kendall, licensee of the J Lancaster Park Hotel, appeared as residents to oppose the transfer. Mr B. McClelland, with him Mr R. E. Wylie, appeared for the applicants. Ballins Brothers Ltd. Mr R- A. Young appeared for the objectors, and Mr J. A. Wicks for Kendall and Stafford. Objections by Mr McClelland to the hearing of the two licensees * on the ground that they lived three-quarters of a mile from the proposed site and could not be termed residents were not sustained. The chairman said that the committee could not hear evidence that the premises are in the vicinity of a place of worship or school and that the quiet of the neighbourhood would be disturbed. “Not a Loss” Mr McClelland said that the proposed site in Ferry road was just within the Lyttelton Licensing District, and the removal of the licence would not be a loss to Lyttelton. ’. “The granting of the application will more fairly and more evenly distribute the licences in the Lyttelton district,” he said. The , Saxon Hotel was nearly 100 years old and in bad repair. In 1952, the Licensing Control Commission directed that the hotel should be rebuilt, with accommodation for 10 guests. The • commission also directed the licensee of the neighbouring Lyttelton Hotel to show why his licence had not become redundant. This hotel was also owned by Ballins. The Lyttelton Hotel was burnt down some years ago, Mr McClelland said. It was rebuilt last year, with a bar space of 1900 square feet The Saxon Hotel had a bar space of only 500 square feet, and

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The other important change since 1952 is the start of the Tunnel road. This will make a very great difference to the relation of Lyttelton to Christchurch. Lyttelton, with a population of 3500, has eight hotel licences. This is not the complete picture, as Lyttelton has a large floating population of workmen from Christchurch,” Mr McClelland said. Allowing for the floating population, there was one licence for every 700 persons. “High Ratio” “This is a very high ratio, and must be one of the highest in the country, if you disregard some of the freak situations on the West Coast. “The company feels that there are too many licences in Lyttelton, and that too many people in other parts of the Lyttelton Licensing District are not getting the service to which they are entitled,” Mr McClelland said. Evidence was given by Bernard John Norman Wilks, managing director of Ballins Breweries, Ltd., and a director of Ballins Hotels, Ltd., who, cross-examined by Mr Wicks, said that although, eight hotels were necessary in 1952 only seven were now required. In 1952 it was thought that two small hotels were better than one big one. An all-important question was the changing of the law permitting licences to be transferred five miles instead of half a mile. Ballins Breweries were interested in six of the eight hotels in Lyttelton—the Empire, British, Albion, Mitre, Lyttelton and Saxon Hotels. If eight hotels were necessary in 1952 it should be realised that there was extra accommodation for customers in most of the Lyttelton hotels. He felt that there was one licence in Lyttelton which could well be done without and this was the best way out of it. To Mr Young, Wilks said that Ballins beer was on tap in six of the eight hotels at Lyttelton and the institution of a hotel licence at Woolston would provide an outlet in a new area for the beer. He would expect to lose 50 per cent, of the Saxon trade at Lyttelton. He did not know how much his firm had paid for the Saxon Hotel. He disagreed with some of the evidence given before the 1952 commission.

When asked by Mr Young whether he could give the committee one reason why things were so different in 1958 from those in 1952 when eight licences in Lyttelton were essential and now only seven were needed witness said that since the 1952 commission, legislation had been introduced increasing the distance of transfer from half a mile to five miles. Mr Young asked what relation the change in legislation meant and what this legislation had to do with the needs of a district and if the licence of the Saxon was deemed to be redundant could not the licence be surrendered and compensation asked?

Witness said that of the six hotels controlled by Ballins Breweries four were owned by the firm, one held under a mortgage and dfie ■” tinder a lease which would expire in four years. The seven regular guests at the Saxon could be accommodated at two other hotels. Patrick Thomas Gilmour, assistant hfitel supervisor employed by Ballins, presented a petition from 60 residents of and workers at Woolston who considered a new hotel at Woolston would be appreciated. The hearing of the application was adjourned to January 30.