Tracksuit bottoms were recently banned for guests on Fridays and Saturdays
The Phoenix Club, New Brighton(Image: Google Street View)
A Merseyside club in a seaside resort is facing major opposition over its plans to stay open until 3.45am on Fridays and Saturdays. It also wants to be able to stay open till 6am on New Year’s Eve.
The Phoenix Club on Rake Lane in New Brighton has made an application to Wirral Council to extend its opening hours. The case put forward by the business will come to a local authority meeting on July 23.
The members club, which people can join for £24 a year, describes itself as “New Brighton’s premier late bar,” telling customers to “come for the games, stay for the vibe.” On its social media, guests were recently barred from wearing tracksuit bottoms on Fridays and Saturdays though members are still allowed to wear them.
The Phoenix Club can currently stay open until 1.30am Sunday to Thursday and until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. If approved by councillors, the venue could stay open to 1.45am Monday to Thursday, 3.45am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2.45am on Sundays.
A Wirral Council report published ahead of the meeting asked for a number of conditions to be removed to be replaced with new ones reflecting the changed operating hours. However the bid by the club is facing opposition from Merseyside Police, the council’s licensing officers, neighbours, and New Brighton’s councillors.
According to the council report, the police said they have “concerns that if the application is granted then this would lead to an increase in alcohol related incidents including violence, disorder and anti-social behaviour.”
The report goes on to add: “Merseyside Police have indicated that they have received a number of reports of anti-social behaviour, congregation outside the premises, aggressive and argumentative customers, drug use and consumption of alcohol on the pavement which have occurred beyond 02:00 on each occasion. Merseyside Police have advised that these issues may escalate if the application is granted.”
Louis Miller, the business manager, said he acknowledged the concerns related to alcohol-related incidents but rejected the suggestion the Phoenix Club was solely responsible. He said the venue had robust measures in place and claims of violence was unsubstantiated with local antisocial behaviour being a wider community issue.
He added: “Many reported incidents stem from individuals passing through the area and not patrons of our establishment. Furthermore, recent improvements, including the introduction of SIA door supervisors, have significantly reduced incidents, with Merseyside Police involvement mostly initiated proactively by our own security team.”
The council’s licensing department said they had also received complaints from neighbours “which relate to anti-social behaviour linked to the premises, noise associated with customers leaving the premises, drug taking by customers, litter (including smashed glass), and urinating in public.” The report said: “These complaints resulted in an inspection of the premises which identified several conditions of the Premises Licence not being complied with.”
Mr Miller said: “We have actively taken steps to comply with conditions and address issues promptly. Our premises employ regular checks for noise breakout, meticulous record-keeping, proactive external area sweeps, and immediate action to rectify any issues.”
The business also said it would be limiting people to one alcohol drink per person during the last 15 minutes of sales “aiming to reduce intoxication and encourage orderly dispersal.” The Phoenix Club also said it actively enforced a zero-tolerance drugs policy and had a number of measures in place.
14 representations have also been made by neighbours as well as a petition signed by 43 people. They also raised similar concerns around public nuisance and antisocial behaviour.
The business believes there has been some misunderstanding around their application and its proposed hours, adding: “We have also introduced stringent noise controls and permanently sealed bathroom windows to address previous complaints. Regular noise checks and logbooks ensure full compliance.”
The report also said New Brighton’s councillors Sue Powell-Wilde, Tony Jones, and Paul Martin were concerned it would “lead to an increase in noise from customers leaving the premises, vehicles idling outside the premises and general disturbances.”
Responding to councillors, Mr Miller said: “Our proactive measures, including employing SIA-licensed door supervisors to manage customer dispersal and discourage congregation outside premises, directly address these issues. Our entry policy now limits admissions and readmissions, helping reduce disturbances significantly.”
He added: “We remain committed to ongoing dialogue with the community and authorities, consistently adapting our operational practices to maintain safety, compliance, and harmony with local residents.”
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