Residents' bid to slash 'boozy' club's hours (From Bucks Free Press)

Residents' bid to slash 'boozy' club's hours

4:23pm Monday 12th May 2008

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A SNOOKER club which serves booze later than any venue in High Wycombe is facing a council showdown with residents over noisy customers.

Flat owners are using recent changes to licensing laws to try and slash the opening hours of the Hurricane Room, formerly Fast Eddie's in Corporation Street.

In 2005 the club got permission to open to 3am Sunday to Wednesday and 6am Thursday to Saturday.

But the plush Bankside development was built later - and residents now say drunken revellers are making their lives a misery.

Residents' spokesman Mike Kirkwood, 42, said people "lose six to 10 hours of quality time from their weekends".

They hope to cut the hours to 12am Sunday to Thursday and 2am Friday and Saturday under a little-used section of the 2003 Licensing Act.

This lets residents call a review - and has only been used four times in Wycombe.

The controversial act allowed pubs and shops to serve booze for longer and led to the snooker club extending its hours in 2005.

It now serves alcohol longer than any other club or pub in the town.

Mr Kirkwood, an engineer, said: "Some residents have to get up for work at 6am on weekdays and so only manage three to four hours sleep some nights and are therefore suffering sleep deprivation."

He said: "These have been fights, arguments, people shouting and swearing, illegal parking, loud music from cars, car doors slamming, urinating, spitting and littering."

Transcripts handed to councillors of recordings made by Mr Kirkwood include "shouting girls then swearing at doorman" and "loud voices getting more agitated".

One entry records "loud voices, words audible walk away walk away' followed by shouting oi, oi you'd better stay there' shut the f**k up'".

A report from Wycombe District Council's environmental services division - which arranged the recording and urged a review - said: "Specific evidence does suggest that the noise is linked to the Hurricane Room."

Pubs in the area shut at 2am and this is when the trouble starts, Mr Kirkwood claims, as revellers head to the snooker club to continue drinking.

A 2am close would resolve this, residents of the £250,000 flats believe.

Mr Kirkwood, a resident with his wife since last May, said: "This will also aid policing as the other public houses in and around the High Street also close at this time and therefore a police presence is already in the area."

By 5am police resources are "stretched as they have other commitments within other sections of the town" he claims.

The panel, which meets at 10.30am at the council's Queen Victoria Road offices, has powers which include changing the opening hours, removing a licensed activity and revoking the licence.

Hurricane Room owner Gavin Tressider declined to comment.

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