Licensing & the bar - an appeal for your help

We have been a little more strict recently on enforcing the rules that alcoholic drinks that were not bought at the bar may not be consumed in the bar, Bell Room, or garden at certain times.

The Connaught Hall Supplementary Regulations state:

12.2 Only alcoholic beverages that have been purchased from the bar may be consumed in the bar, courtyard garden, and Bell Room between the hours of 19.00 and 23.00.

This rule is necessary to help us uphold our obligations under the Licensing Act 2003.

The reason we have tightened up recently is that a large number of trangressions of this rule were reported in the past few weeks, indicating that our reliance on residents' self-regulation was inadequate and that more rigorous enforcement was required.

As with any increased rule enforcement, this move has not been without critics. To those who are unhappy about this rule and the fact that it is now being enforced more stringently by bar staff and Senior Members, I should like to explain why it is so important - please scroll down below the sign to find out more...

I see our bar as an enormous asset for the Hall. It is a social hub and a venue that makes it possible for us to host parties that most other halls cannot contend with. I think our bar is one of the reasons that Connaught Hall is regarded as being amongst the most social halls of residence in London.

The fact that our bar is managed and staffed by students for the Residents' Club Committee gives it a sense of informality, familiarity, and homeliness; these are some of our bar's best attributes. But it is still a "real" bar, with a licence, subject to very strict controls under the Licensing Act 2003. Since the Act came into force in 2005, we have been inspected - without any advance notice - by the police and/or local authority licensing inspectors on average once every 18 months. If on one of these inspections we are found to be breaching the terms of our licence, we could be fined up to £20,000 or lose our licence altogether. The Club doesn't have £20,000, so either penalty would result in the permanent closure of our bar.

All eight intercollegiate halls used to have a bar. In the last few years, six of them have been shut down. Of the two left, one is open only a few times a month; ours is the only proper bar left.

So, in enforcing these rules that help us to do what the Licensing Act tells us we must do, my aim is to protect and preserve our bar now and for the future. My hope is not to kill the community atmosphere of the bar, or put a downer on everyone's enjoyment of that space: my goal is to ensure that current and future residents continue to have a bar that is a vibrant and friendly hub for our Hall community.

I hope all residents can share my aspiration and help us work towards it.

Temporary Event Notice for Christmas masquerade ball Friday 10th December

There will be some restrictions on guests, music policy, sound levels, and alcohol during our Christmas masquerade ball on Friday. The following letter that I wrote to the Licensing Authority when applying for Friday's temporary event notice explains the changes that you will see.

Addressing difficulties arising at our temporary event on 9 October 2010

At our last temporary event at Connaught Hall, a welcome party on 9-10 October 2010, five non-resident, signed-in guests were responsible for minor assaults on two of our residents. The guests were removed from the premises with no difficulty, but then gathered outside the Hall on Tavistock Square and refused to disperse and go home. I called the police as I was concerned these guests posed a threat of causing disorder.

In the 13 years I have been at Connaught Hall, there have been no previous similar incidents. We have held at least five temporary events every academic year since The Licensing Act 2003 came into effect and several late parties per year under the old magistrates system.

The guests who caused problems have been permanently banned from Connaught Hall; where appropriate, their colleges or student unions have been informed. The residents who signed in those guests have been subject to internal disciplinary proceedings.

I am confident that we can make our parties safer whilst remaining every bit as enjoyable for the majority who I know had a great time and weren't involved in any trouble at all.

From now on, residents may only sign in two guests each during a temporary event. A special sign-in book and more personnel at reception will help monitor this. Residents will be required to show Hall ID when entering the building and guests will be issued with wrist bands.

There will be some changes to the music policy - moving away from any drum & bass towards more disco / pop / uplifting dance music and a clear 30-minute wind-down period with slower music at the end of the event.

Our Christmas party will follow on from a formal Christmas dinner; both events will have a smart dress code with optional (but encouraged) black tie.

Licensed hours will be shorter than at recent Connaught Hall events and there will be a champagne & (long) cocktails theme. We will not run any reduced price drinks promotions.

I hope these measures will prevent any difficulties arising at this or future temporary events at Connaught Hall.

Parties at Connaught Hall

I need your help to ensure that the Resident's Club can continue to organise parties in the bar whilst taking care to safeguard the wellbeing and security of residents, and protect the Hall from damage and unnecessary mess.

The last two parties have left rather more mess and caused more disruption in the rest of the Hall than I would expect. The next party will be on 12 February (for Valentine's Day). The bar will close at 1.30 instead of 2.00, and I should like everyone to bear in mind:

• Parties are held in the bar only; residents in the rest of the building who do not wish to attend the party should be able to study or sleep if they want to.
• Only alcoholic drinks purchased at the bar may be consumed in the bar, Bell room, and garden.
• All guests must be met at reception and signed in by a resident. Residents may be held responsible for their guests' behaviour.
• The party ends at closing time (usually 2.00). Those who want to continue partying after that need to go out to another venue. Student rooms, the common rooms, and the steps outside the front of the building may not be used for after-parties. The Hall should be as quiet as any other night by 2.20.

I have published new guidance for bar staff and DJs for the Valentine's party:

• The Licensing Act 2003 - a guide for bar staff
• Instructions for bar staff at late parties
• Instructions for DJs at late parties
  

I will review how parties are organised, the hours at which they are allowed, and how frequently parties may be held, after the Valentines' party. Please help keep mess and noise to a minimum so that I do not have to place restrictions on future parties.