Staff who run a bar at a community centre in Caversham have won permission to keep events going until 1am at weekends.
The Caversham Village Park Social Club is a bar at the Milestone Centre in Northbrook Road.
The club rents the space from The Caversham Village Park Association, a charity that runs community and sporting events from the three buildings that make up the centre.
The club currently opens from 6pm to 11pm Monday to Friday (operating until midnight during darts super league nights), 3pm to 11pm on Saturdays, unless for special events, when it stays open until midnight, and 3pm to 10.30pm on Sundays.
Recently, the club applied to hold sports events, TV and film showings and a range of other activities until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, and midnight through the rest of the week.
It also applied to sell alcohol until 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays and 11.30pm for the rest of the week.
However, neighbours complained that drinkers coming from the club were already causing a disturbance, with the problem being exacerbated if later hours were granted.
These complaints triggered a Reading Borough Council meeting where the application was decided.
Peter Johnson, a member of the social club, explained that its activities are mostly limited in scope.
He said: “The club is basically a bar run within our community centre. The bar is primarily for sportspeople or members who just want a drink.
“We’re struggling to make ends meet, if we get the premises licence, we can better serve members.”
During questioning, councillor Paul Woodward (Labour, Church) asked whether prices would be increased to help the club with income.
Mr Johnson replied that prices would be kept the same, with a discount applying for members of The Caversham Village Park Association.
He explained: “It’s what we want, that helps the association – they are who we work for, and we pay them every month.”
Cllr Dennis (Labour, Kentwood) asks what the usual capacity of the club is.
Mr Johnson replied: “On a good night, we get 30 to 40 people, most days it is much lower than that. We want more people to use the bar.
“We just want enough to pay for us, pay our charity and pay our staff.”
He added that typical hours would not change, with a grant of the extended hours eliminating the need for temporary event notices (TENs) allowing the club to stay open later.
The club applies for around 12 TENs per year, which cost £21 per application and typically must be applied for 10 days prior to the event.
Mr Johnson was supported by fellow member Linda Salmon who stated that the extended hours would encourage people to become association members, adding the club has not received any complaints for recent events.
Neighbours who had objected to the application complained about rowdy drinkers and loud arguments in the car park.
Mr Johnson sympathised with the complaints of neighbours, but argued social club members are not responsible for the disturbance experienced.
He said: “We do have people who use our car park, we get accused of them being associated with us, but they are not, they have nothing to do with us.
“We don’t have control over the car park. We’re very on the ball with those who may come to cause trouble.
“We also have a lot of younger people making noise when they are coming home from The White Horse.”
Nearby pubs The Black Horse and The White Horse are located a 10-minute walk away from the Milestone Centre.
Cllr Dennis said he ‘understood the pressure’ the social club faces given his own experience dealing with similar issues on Tilehurst Parish Council.
Ultimately, the extended hours were granted at the licensing applications sub-committee meeting on Thursday, December 5.
The decision was made by cllrs Woodward, Dennis and Sarah Magon (Green, Park).
