Methven licence granted

Press, 15 September 1988, Page 27

Methven licence granted

The Methven Hotel, known as the Blue Pub, has been granted a food and entertainment licence for its Samuel’s Bar with certain conditions, by the Licensing Control Commission.

The licence applies from June 1 to October 31 for the hours 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Wednesdays to Saturdays and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The application for the licence was heard by the Licensing Control Commission sitting in Christchurch on May 26. Judge Gatley and Messrs P. M. Thompson and G. R. Lomax comprise the Commission. Public notification of the application attracted objections from St John’s Church, Methven, a number of residents, Value Tours Restaurants, Ltd, and Mount Hutt Ski and Alpine Tourist Company, Ltd, the Commission said in its decision.

Value Tours Restaurants was the only objector to appear. The other company withdrew its objection. Evidence was given at the hearing by Keith William Henderson, a hotel manager, and a director and shareholder in Methven Hotel, Ltd. It was an Auckland registered company and the directors were Barbara Shirley Henderson, Donald lan Fletcher, an executive director in the hotel industry, and Pauline Joy Fletcher, a laboratory technician.

Methven was a town which depended on the success of the ski season. The last season, while there was good snow cover, was short. Mr Henderson told the Commisson that the Methven Hotel in the centre of the town, was a landmark. The first hotel was built in the 1880 s but was destroyed by fire and the

present hotel was built in 1910. Evidence was given by Astrid Anderson-Pof, marketing officer for the Methven and Mount Hutt District Promotion Associaton, that Methven had a summer population of approximately 1000 which peaked at about 3000 during the ski season. In 1987 about 85,000 domestic and 46,000 international skiers visited the mountain. Mr Henderson had said in evidence that there was a real demand for entertainment when licensed premises closed their doors at 11 p.m. by persons staying in Methven and for whom a ski-ing holiday was a combination of sport and social acitivity. There was a need for the provision of dining facilities such as Samuel’s on Sundays, both winter

and summer. In its decision the Commission said that when considering whether or not to grant a food and entertainment licence it was not directed by the act to have regard to economic consquences on a competing operator. The requirements of the public in the area from which persons might reasonably be expected to resort to the premises if the licence was granted or in short “demand” was what the Commission was directed to have regard to. The Commission found that there was no such demand in the summer. Mr N. W. R. Davidson appeared for Methven Hotel, Ltd, Mr K. G. Smith for Value Tours Restaurant, Ltd, Sergeant R. G. Smith for the police and Mr R. Cockburn, as chief inspector of licensed premises.