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Bid to scupper plan for Weymouth pirate restaurant (From Thisisdorset)
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Bid to scupper plan for Weymouth pirate restaurant
9:00am Wednesday 30th December 2009
TRADERS are calling for the council to block the opening of a new restaurant and club in Weymouth.
The owner of a restaurant in Bridport is hoping to transform the Evolve shop opposite McDonald’s in St Mary Street into a three-floor business incorporating a family pirate-themed restaurant, a members club and an adults-only restaurant.
A council notice went up to reveal a premises licence had been applied for and the reference to the ‘adult only’ restaurant ‘with a private room’ sparked fears that a lapdancing club could be housed on one of the resort’s main shopping streets.
However, no adult entertainment has been proposed and the new owner is promising the new business will not have any lap dancing.
But Dennis Spurr, owner of The Fantastic Sausage Factory in St Mary Street, is appealing for the building to be kept as retail to encourage shoppers before the town centre dies out.
He said: “This town is struggling outside the summer season.
“We are busy now but we need more retail space and shops as this town is dying on its feet.
“It would be a disaster having a nightclub and nobody would be there during the day."
Mr Spurr fears a new drinking venue will add to the disturbances he witnesses if he gets to work at 4am.
“We’ve already got a bad enough reputation for the town being a no-go area at night,” he added.
Trish Johnson, owner of Monarch House Bed and Breakfast, hosted a meeting of residents and traders who oppose the new club.
She said her granddaughters were already afraid to go out at night and another late-night bar would make it worse.
Pat Silverton, 62, of East Street, echoed the call for the building – a former hotel – to remain a shop.
He said: “That’s a retail street and needs to remain so.
“Whatever the council gives permission to it’s got to stay as a shop and it’s big enough for the likes of Primark.”
But Robert Parkin, who already owns Taste in Bridport, said he would not have any strippers and his customers would not be the type to cause late night disturbances.
He said: “This could not be further from the truth.
“When it says ‘adults only’ it means no under-18s for the simple reason we don’t want pushchairs and children upstairs.
“The ground floor is going to be a family restaurant.”
Mr Parkin said the business would use local produce and Dorset beers and ciders and he hoped to employ 30 to 40 people..
He said his members-only basement will ensure a trouble-free, relaxing atmosphere.
Mr Parkin plans an adults- only restaurant and bar upstairs with a private room available for bookings.
He conceded that the notice on the premises for an ‘adults-only’ restaurant ‘could have been worded differently’ and said the business name Golden Casino Ltd did not mean it would house a casino.
Mr Parkin said he would not be attracting ‘the drinkers’ and though he had applied for a 4am licence in order to cater for bookings for functions the last orders for drinks on each floor would be before midnight.
He said he hoped to attract more shoppers to the area and wanted to help businesses in St Alban Street by bringing the bricked up windows on that side of the building back into use in the ground floor restaurant.
“We’ll have a nice area for people upstairs who want a quiet lunch with sofas there and in the basement where 24-hour news channels will be shown and newspapers available,” he added. “There will not be a single bit of lapdancing.”
The licence notice on the premises reads that letters for or against the application should be sent to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council by January 8, 2010. A council spokesman said any petitions handed in would only count as one piece of support or opposition.
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Your Say YourDorset
staffs, weymouth says...
10:02am Mon 28 Dec 09
I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY DON'T LIKE THE NEW ECHO WEBSITE, Weymouth says...
5:55pm Tue 29 Dec 09
.
In an ideal world, a retail store would take over the lease. Retail is struggling, so if this guy wants to open a Pirate themed restaurant ("I was hoping for something more...piratical") then good luck to him. The people that object to people trying to better themselves should keep quiet- I have always admired Dennis "The Sausage" Spurr and find his stance unusual. What happens if the Pirate Restaurant want to order their meat from The Fantastic Sausage Factory?
.
Personally, I would love to open a Burger King and Pizza Hut there. However, the size of my bank balance does not match my ambition!
portlandbear, Tagaytay says...
4:13am Wed 30 Dec 09
Get a grip, weymouth says...
10:07am Wed 30 Dec 09
Weymouth, for many years (30 years plus) has simply chased the market down and unfortunately we are now in a terminal spiral. The reasons for this is that the councillors have pursued a policy of self interest.
Duckorange, Wyke Regis says...
11:15am Wed 30 Dec 09
Tell you what - let's just leave all the empty shops empty and see how we get on, eh?
/sarcasm
Scolopax, Wyke Regis says...
11:19am Wed 30 Dec 09
niblick, Dorchester says...
11:46am Wed 30 Dec 09
notweymouth, Castletown says...
11:56am Wed 30 Dec 09
Tremendous Eddie Tremendouson, Weymouth says...
12:30pm Wed 30 Dec 09
Duckorange, Wyke Regis says...
12:43pm Wed 30 Dec 09
Mabu, Dorchester says...
5:13pm Wed 30 Dec 09
Mads, Weymouth says...
5:29pm Wed 30 Dec 09
A pirate restaurant sounds fun to me - bring it on!
popup, portland says...
5:51pm Wed 30 Dec 09
irisred, Weymouth says...
6:27pm Wed 30 Dec 09
Stoneman, Portland says...
7:06pm Wed 30 Dec 09
nigefromdorchester, Dorchester says...
10:22pm Wed 30 Dec 09
mark@greenhill, weymouth says...
7:17am Thu 31 Dec 09
If we need retail space as much as they claim, why are so many shops sat empty ?
Anything has to be better than yet another boarded up, or dare I say it, pound store type shop.
Weymouth has a reputation as a thriving night time economy, great, at least we have something different from some of our neighbours, & much as some people might not like it, any economy is helpful & should be encouraged.
The possible trouble that nightlife brings, is for the police & licensing authorities to deal with, it is not a reason to ban everything on the off chance that it "might" happen.
If the scaremongers, & let's not change anything brigade are listened to, we would be back to the pubs all closing at 11, & then this town really would be finished. This is 2010 & the public can get entertainment 24 hours a day in most large towns. If we don't supply it, they & their money will go elsewhere.
Just like the objections to the bypass, or the campaign to keep the pavilion theatre, it would seem that some people would rather see this town carrying on it's slow decline into a sleepy backwater, rather than move forward & grab any business going ?
popup, portland says...
9:37am Thu 31 Dec 09
dorchbloke, Dorchester says...
10:55am Thu 31 Dec 09
Get a grip, weymouth says...
11:16am Thu 31 Dec 09
lefp, Burnham-on-sea says...
11:22am Thu 31 Dec 09
rpm1366, Burton Bradstock says...
12:44pm Thu 31 Dec 09
No night club,
No lap dancing,
2 restaurants of which you have the choice unless your are with kids.
I have kids so what a great idea to have a place that i can actually get a break.
A members bar that will be vetted so we want have to put up with the behavour & language that you get in other places.
With the whole place closing before midnight and open all day this will bring business to Weymouth.
i thought competition was good especially for the consumer, unless you are Mr Sausageman.
so i say get behind this.
it sound great.
Robert Parkin, West Bay says...
1:22pm Thu 31 Dec 09
look in the windows on Tuesday for the full story and once you have read it i am sure those of you who have been swayed by Mr Silverton, Mr Spurr & Mrs Johnson and their band of brothers will look on this project more favourably.
let me ask them a question, we support Dorset through using nearly 80% Dorset food products.
what % do you use.
By the way Albion House was once a hotel with 2 restaurants and a bar funny how things go round in circles just like Music and fashion.
popup, portland says...
4:39pm Thu 31 Dec 09
Robert Parkin wrote:All very well Mr Parkin but your proposed establishment will be of no use to me or many other locals who might want to shop, over the last few years we have lost so many of our shops that it will hardly be worth going into town soon. As for your comments about the opposition to your proposal I would have thought that if you were a business man you would have had the sense to do a bit of research and maybe put your proposals to your future neighbours in the town and then you could have allayed any fears they might have. I don’t understand why you have applied for a 4am license when you say that all the bars will be shut by midnight? by your own admission the planning notice could have been worded better, I will look in the windows on Tuesday if I am in town and perhaps get a better grasp of your proposal but I can’t help thinking that you could have made life a little easier for yourself had you been more up front (or maybe you didn’t want to be) Dorchester here I come Weymouth is finished .
as speculation runs riot it is best to hear it from the person who knows not from those spreading malicious rumours because they are afraid of trade. look in the windows on Tuesday for the full story and once you have read it i am sure those of you who have been swayed by Mr Silverton, Mr Spurr & Mrs Johnson and their band of brothers will look on this project more favourably. let me ask them a question, we support Dorset through using nearly 80% Dorset food products. what % do you use. By the way Albion House was once a hotel with 2 restaurants and a bar funny how things go round in circles just like Music and fashion.
niblick, Dorchester says...
6:57pm Thu 31 Dec 09
popup wrote:So should it just stand empty then because a family restaurant and members club does not suit your needs, why don't you start a petition to close down some of the other eateries in Weymouth and request the shops you want to visit open up here. You can't force shops to open up in Weymouth if they don't wish to and this one sounds like a good idea
Robert Parkin wrote: as speculation runs riot it is best to hear it from the person who knows not from those spreading malicious rumours because they are afraid of trade. look in the windows on Tuesday for the full story and once you have read it i am sure those of you who have been swayed by Mr Silverton, Mr Spurr & Mrs Johnson and their band of brothers will look on this project more favourably. let me ask them a question, we support Dorset through using nearly 80% Dorset food products. what % do you use. By the way Albion House was once a hotel with 2 restaurants and a bar funny how things go round in circles just like Music and fashion.All very well Mr Parkin but your proposed establishment will be of no use to me or many other locals who might want to shop, over the last few years we have lost so many of our shops that it will hardly be worth going into town soon. As for your comments about the opposition to your proposal I would have thought that if you were a business man you would have had the sense to do a bit of research and maybe put your proposals to your future neighbours in the town and then you could have allayed any fears they might have. I don’t understand why you have applied for a 4am license when you say that all the bars will be shut by midnight? by your own admission the planning notice could have been worded better, I will look in the windows on Tuesday if I am in town and perhaps get a better grasp of your proposal but I can’t help thinking that you could have made life a little easier for yourself had you been more up front (or maybe you didn’t want to be) Dorchester here I come Weymouth is finished .
mark@greenhill, weymouth says...
8:09am Fri 1 Jan 10
The shops will come when the public come, & if this proposed venture provides one more reason for people to park & walk into town, so much the better.
As for going to dorchester, please feel free, it's more expensive, & has fewer shops.
popup, portland says...
10:01am Fri 1 Jan 10
Robert Parkin, West Bay says...
12:27pm Fri 1 Jan 10
Having a cross section of places to eat is the same as the choice you have in which clothes you wear.
It’s the freedom of choice or are you saying the public is not allowed to choose. A business survives or fails through the publics decision to use it or not and this depend on the quality, service, standards it keeps and the value for money the business offers. Did you take the same stance when the second MacDonald’s, the latest fish & chip shop, the 20th hairdressers, the 10th mobile phone shop opened, I think not.
Freedom of speech is a great thing but we are taught to look at things with a clear prospective and none judgementally without fact or do we ban Brussel Sprouts because you don't like them.
popup, portland says...
12:44pm Fri 1 Jan 10
Techie, Weymouth says...
3:11pm Fri 1 Jan 10
Popup, there are lots of businesses in Weymouth that I have no use for. However Weymouth & Portland contains some sixty-seventy thousand people who don't actually share the same tastes as you.
If you want to live in a place that only has shops that you frequent, could I suggest somewhere the size of Royston Vasey?
lefp, Burnham-on-sea says...
5:22pm Fri 1 Jan 10
I hope this is helpful to anyone who thinks the worst.
Captain Sensible, Nowhere says...
6:58pm Fri 1 Jan 10
Pat Silverton, Weymouth Town centre says...
4:52pm Wed 6 Jan 10
Mr. Parkin I will happily come to committee and support your application for a license and then your planning application for change of use if you will state here and now and to the police and council licensing office (because you hadn't as of this morning) that this business will be closed including any private areas before midnight. Full stop. SIMPLE. This is not just a retail area but a residential area for many who live along Maiden Street and St. Alban Street. To the person who says "well move out" if you want to find me accomodation then let me know. Please remember WE ALSO HAVE RIGHTS.
Pat Silverton, Weymouth Town centre says...
5:00pm Wed 6 Jan 10
Robert Parkin, West Bay says...
11:43am Thu 7 Jan 10
As you will see from the poster I put up on the windows we don't intend to open past mid-night and this I can categorically state. The only variation to this will be for special occasions like New Years Eve. As you are aware the application asks for me to state all opening times. Every time you vary it costs money & time plus all the paperwork to fill in. we have no intention of upsetting anyone with late night opening as we are not a night club and let’s be honest there are too many night clubs in Weymouth as it is. I have also confirmed this to the Police and the licensing officer. With regards to the name this was a company brought of the shelf and we are in the process of having this change to Taste Weymouth at Companies House. I would also assume you have looked at our website and realised everyone was barking up the wrong tree with regards to adults. It is also a shame Mr Spurr took the stance he did as we fully intended to use him as one of our suppliers for locally produced sausages but I think it would best to source these from another local producer as I do not need this sort of conflict. As a person I am very approachably and happy to answer any questions as I have nothing to hide but was taken aback on Tuesday when I was stood near to you to listen to you calling me a liar in front of the windows to another gentleman after the posters went up. as far as I am concerned now I have given you my word we will not be open past mid-night other than on a few special occasions we can put all of this behind us and I would be more than happy to invite you to the opening day to show you around the property. If you also like to come in and look around during the referb please feel free. Just ask the site Forman and abide by site health & Safety rules and regulation. I am sure you have the best interests of the community at heart and I am more than happy to take on suggestions that will make it a better environment for us all to work and live in.
585, Weymouth says...
12:20pm Thu 7 Jan 10
www.tastebridport.
com/index.htm
Pat Silverton, Weymouth Town centre says...
6:55pm Thu 7 Jan 10
Pat Silverton and Dennis Spurr are opposed to plans for a three-storey restaurant and club in the building currently occupied by Evolve
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bluecat, Weymouth says...
9:27am Mon 28 Dec 09