Sheffield sports club win booze and entertainment license after heated meeting

The owners of Abbeydale Sports Club, in Dore, won a license to sell alcohol and host entertainment despite objections from several residents.
Sheffield Town HallSheffield Town Hall
Sheffield Town Hall

In a stormy licensing meeting in which both sides had their say on ongoing issues at the site, Councillor Josie Paszek, chair of the committee, granted their application with a number of conditions.

The popular club, which has around 150,000 members ranging from age four to 96, applied to host film screenings, live music, dance performances and indoor sports events, as well as sell alcohol from 8am to 2pm, seven days a week.

The plans were part of the club’s major refurbishment.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But eight residents and one council officer sent letters objecting to the plans with concerns about noise and a rear exit track.

One resident, David Reeves, said: “I object to a license being granted for the above. The resultant noise of car doors slamming and engine noise to say nothing of loud voices of people intoxicated at that time of night in a residential area is totally unacceptable to me.”

Another neighbour, David Pickard, said: “I have an issue with what is described in the report as the rear exit road, it’s more of a track with weeds and no pavement. It should only be used 24 times a year for major sporting events and now it seems like it’s going to be used all the time. I think that’s totally unacceptable, the track is not safe.

"It’s meant to be locked and used only 24 times a year. At the moment it’s left unlocked, there’s no one managing it, and it’s used more like 24 times a month.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Prior to the meeting the environment officer withdrew their objection under two conditions: there would be no live or recorded music outside after 11pm and the rear exit road cannot be used after midnight.

Seven residents raised concerns at the meeting and one brought a petition objecting to the license.

They said 130 people had signed the petition so far as many were not aware they could send letters of objection and had been given very little notice about the plans.

When Coun Paszek explained the petition could not be counted in the meeting the resident slammed the petition in the middle of the table and called the process “undemocratic” and said the meeting was “nonsense”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Shield, the club’s solicitor, said the club applied for such long hours for flexibility and would not be hosting events seven days a week.

Coun Paszek granted the license with several conditions which the club agreed to.

The club promised to: set up a dedicated phone number for residents to complain, keep the premises litter-free, keep a complaints log, not use the rear exit track after midnight and not play live or recorded music after 11pm.