Hotels’ Review Sittings Delayed

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31188, 12 October 1966, Page 12

Hotels’ Review Sittings Delayed

It is unlikely that the Licensing Control Commission will resume its Christchurch sittings before December at the earliest to tie up many loose ends arising from its review, in February and March, of 100 hotel premises licences in the city and surrounding country districts.

This was learnt in a telephone conversation yesterday with the commission’s senior clerk (Mr T. C. Sheehy) in Wellington. Because of recent illness of the commission’s chairman (Mr S. T. Barnett), the programme has been revised, he said.

In its findings on the 100 hotels, the commission, in

most cases, asked that required work or plans for alterations be completed by September 30.

I “A lot of proposals have been received by the commission, and some hotels have received their licences,” said Mr Sheehy. “Others have had a shake-up because their proproposals were not lodged in time, and others have been granted extensions because of delays through such things as land purchases.” Mr Sheehy was asked if any decision had been made on the 18 applications for the is-

sue of tavern licences in place of existing hotel premises licences.

“None had been granted.’’ he said. “These licences are not issued until the premises are completed, and receive various approvals. Plans have been submitted to the commission, probably, for one or two tavern premises in the Canterbury district.” Mr Sheehy said that in cases where owners had been offered the choice by the commission of continuing as hotels or taverns, the commission could convey its decision by letter. In its decisions on the local survey, the commission indicated that while no new hotel premises licences were warranted in the district, tavern premises licences were desirable in the Bishopdale. Avonhead, Hoon Hay and Huntsbury areas. Two applications have been made to the commission for a tavern licence for Bishopdale, where a site is reserved for licensed premises. The commission has also been asked to approve of the removal of the Metropole Hotel licence from Akaroa to a tavern for the Hoon Hay area.

The commission has undertaken to resume its hearing on Bishopdale and Hoon Hay, and to make no decisions for six months from June 30 on licences for Avonhead and Huntsbury, to enable owners of existing licences to apply for removal. The commission has also to resume its hearing on Warner’s Hotel, the future of which is in doubt. In a decision on March 31. the commission said it would resume its review of Warner’s licence at any time convenient to the commission three months after March 31. “More than the mere fate of Warner’s depends on the answer as to whether it remains in operation,” the decision said. “In any event, if there is to be a new owner or lessee, either will wish to know what the commission is going to require before a hotel premises licence is issued.” The commission is now engaged on an Auckland district review. It is proposed to visit Timaru at the end of November to deal with urgent matters.