Businesses denied licences for Brighton Pride

By Emily Hawkins

- Last updated on GMT

Pride parties: Many businesses will get involved in Brighton's Pride celebrations this weekend but the council has denied several an alcohol licence (Image: Dominic Alves, Flickr)
Pride parties: Many businesses will get involved in Brighton's Pride celebrations this weekend but the council has denied several an alcohol licence (Image: Dominic Alves, Flickr)

Related tags Brighton LGBTQ+

Licences were denied for a range of Brighton-based businesses in the run-up to this year’s Pride festivities.

Many companies that applied for an alcohol licence over Pride weekend this Saturday and Sunday - which will see hundreds of thousands people take part in the annual parade - were unsuccessful.

Businesses including coffee kiosks and car hire companies - 22 in all - applied to extend an existing licence temporarily or for a one-off licence. However, the Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel denied many requests in order to ensure police resources could meet the demands of the day.

Objections from police

Objections from Sussex Police saw many applicants decide not to pursue their requests further, while some were denied after panel hearings.

One of the applicants for a license was seaside tattoo and piercing parlour Chapter XIII, whose previous Pride parties, police told the panel, had become unmanageable.

Jessica Stocker, owner of the Chapter XIII shop, told the council panel she had taken on feedback from previous Prides.

She said: “I’m not holding an event. There’s no DJ. I’m just doing my normal trading hours. As for the last two years, it has not gone right.

“I have taken on board all the points made over the last three years.”

Public safety

Sussex Police licensing officer Mark Thoroughgood said: "Over the last two years this venue has seen the single biggest use of police resources in the city during Pride weekend."

“Out of all the other venues in the city, Chapter XIII used the most resources.

“We have to bring in extra officers, licensing officers as well as calling the superintendent about what we needed to do with the party.”

At last year’s Pride event, around 800 people packed the street of the tattoo parlour, meaning coaches could not safely enter the road.

Sussex Police have said their priority for the weekend is the safety of festival attendees and local residents.

Chief Superintendent Neil Honnor said: “We have worked closely with the organisers of Pride and our partners in the city to ensure that everyone can enjoy the weekend safely."

Related topics Licensing law

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