Roger Posted May 19, 2014 Report Posted May 19, 2014 I see that the Coffee Cart people have applied to the Council for a licence to serve alcohol ... Link to application It is bang in the centre of the No Drinking zone but that doesn't seem to count for much these days as the Castle Green is a booze free zone and that regularly gets a beer tent when the great and the good decide they want booze at their event. I see the rateable value for the business is £0 ... but I don't know how much rent they pay the Council for their pitch ...
Biomech Posted May 19, 2014 Report Posted May 19, 2014 I think it would be good and nice for the summer for sensible people to have a drink. However, I fear that it may be a place for the unlikeables to gather.I also concur with the whole no alcohol zone part.
Mick Posted May 19, 2014 Report Posted May 19, 2014 They are also opening up in one of the kiosks within the Old Market,
Ubique Posted May 19, 2014 Report Posted May 19, 2014 Just a question - Do any of the eating houses in the OLM allow customers to drink alcohol within their "fenced off " area , if so I think it would be hard for the Council and the WM Police to object to this application .?
Roger Posted May 19, 2014 Author Report Posted May 19, 2014 Just a question - Do any of the eating houses in the OLM allow customers to drink alcohol within their "fenced off " area , if so I think it would be hard for the Council and the WM Police to object to this application .? I don't know the answer to that but with all the doom and gloom floating about (suggesting that the old centre is dead on it's feet) I'd suggest the Council would be inclined to look at this application favourably ... What more interests me is that a 'business' that started off selling coffee from something virtually no bigger than a handcart in town has morphed into something entirely different. With it's third or fourth generation 'cart', with fenced off seating and booze/food aspirations (and possible later opening), it would be a restaurant. If it got a licence for an 11 PM finish then there would come a point where for most of the year it would be virtually pointless carting it all away at midnight to bring it all back at 5 AM. You might as well pay someone for 5 hours to sit there to make sure it wasn't all wrecked by passing drunks! I don't really have a personal view on this either way (as I don't use this sort of venue in Hereford) but Saxty's, who you could argue might offer something similar but in a building, probably pay a lot of business rates and this cart is zero rated for business. They might have a view.
ragwert Posted May 19, 2014 Report Posted May 19, 2014 They are also opening up in one of the kiosks within the Old Market, Heard they are taking the one on the left
dippyhippy Posted May 19, 2014 Report Posted May 19, 2014 I actually rather like the sound of this! Mulled Wine over late night Christmas shopping, and Pimms over Wimbledon fortnight sounds quite tempting! It would appear that they have aspirations to extend their menu somewhat, and if they are using and promoting local produce and suppliers, that can be no bad thing!
gdj Posted May 19, 2014 Report Posted May 19, 2014 Agree that as it has grown so much it should be on the same rent/rates system as competitors. It is also clear to me that to get drunk on "premium" beers and wine will give a much higher class of abusiveness than yobs getting drunk on cheap booze. I suggest that breathalysers should be able to distinguish between "premium" and "cheap" with police officers giving due deference to the former. Seriously, though, isn't there a system of awarding a licence for a probationary or trial period - say for the summer and see how it goes with the police and other traders reporting back on the general effect. It would certainly pull the centre of gravity back towards High Town on a warm Saturday afternoon.
Cambo Posted May 19, 2014 Report Posted May 19, 2014 Personally I think that high town should have some bars & restaurants around the centre to create a busy lively social meeting place & the OLM should have been kept mostly for shopping?
dippyhippy Posted May 21, 2014 Report Posted May 21, 2014 Wahey! This gets better......in today's legal notices in The Journal, they have also applied for a license for live music! Brilliant! Bobby, grab your guitar, I shall bring my trusty tambourine.....I can feel an acoustic version of Kum By Yah coming on!! All together now..... Someone's lying Lord, Kum By Yah........ ( That verse may well be dedicated to Harry!)
Aylestone Voice Posted May 21, 2014 Report Posted May 21, 2014 Cambo - good idea. There are some vacant shops just waiting for a business to try their hand
Roger Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Posted May 21, 2014 Wahey! This gets better......in today's legal notices in The Journal, they have also applied for a license for live music! I hope it's permission for Sunshine Radio to be played ... Can't imagine a live band would have the stamina to play 6AM to 9PM all week ...
dippyhippy Posted May 21, 2014 Report Posted May 21, 2014 "Specific, restricted occasions" is the exact wording Roger, so I remain hopeful that my trusty tambourine would be welcome.....!!
Cambo Posted May 21, 2014 Report Posted May 21, 2014 Thank you Aylestone voice you are a gentleman!! How about letting people live in some of the empty space above those business's?
Roger Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Posted May 21, 2014 The business model has obviously changed to selling stuff from a pop up tent as opposed to paying zillions of pounds of business rates from a building ...
Roger Posted May 22, 2014 Author Report Posted May 22, 2014 "Specific, restricted occasions" is the exact wording Roger, so I remain hopeful that my trusty tambourine would be welcome.....!! From the application ... Also seems as tho there are going to be more signs than you can shake a stick at regarding keeping the noise down and not taking booze off site ... Apparently no Welsh signs ...
Ubique Posted May 22, 2014 Report Posted May 22, 2014 I can just imagine a warm summers evening sitting in High Town with the gang ( you know who you are!) a few drinks , good music , good company - what more could you want .
Aylestone Voice Posted May 22, 2014 Report Posted May 22, 2014 Cambo agree again - the biggest hurdle to having flats above the shops in High Town or anywhere is that the owners, usually property companies/pension funds etc do not want them. They would rather see them unused than have to deal with people living there. Problems about separate access can easily be resolved.
Ubique Posted May 22, 2014 Report Posted May 22, 2014 In the early 1990s the Govt. of the day ran a Campaign (with Grants ) to convert the unused accommodation above small shops in the town centres to flats . This worked at the time but for whatever reason appeared to have stopped . Perhaps "they" should consider restarting this initiative . If it can put a roof over a homeless person or family it has to be the way ahead .
Cambo Posted May 22, 2014 Report Posted May 22, 2014 Yes I agree guys it would help housing needs. I think the council or government should put pressure on those types of owners to help more in the communities with housing where they have vacant properties above there retail units?
Ubique Posted May 22, 2014 Report Posted May 22, 2014 From. http://www.rudi.net/ Future High Street X-Fund to supports town centre regeneration; more town centre above-shop flats to be allowed Bidding is imminent for a £1m fund to help improve town centres. The Future High Street X-Fund will award the money to one or more winner localities after bids close in December, housing minister Grant Shapps has said. The independent expert panel of judges will include representatives from Alliance Boots, the Association of Town Centre Management, Civic Voice, Locality and Yellowdoor (Mary Portas's retail and brand communication agency). Developers will also be allowed to create two flats instead of just one above shops without planning permission, the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, will announce. As the government prepares for a major new initiative on housing, Pickles will say that the "commonsense" reform, designed to increase the number of homes in town centres, will be in place by 1 October. Under current regulations, only one flat can be created above a shop without planning permission. This will be increased to two flats above shops and financial and professional services premises. The change is part of the government's response to the review of high streets by the retail guru Mary Portas. Grant Shapps, the housing minister, said in March he would go further than the Portas review to relax the one-flat rule to help make town centres more vibrant. Pickles said: "These are commonsense planning reforms that will deliver more affordable homes in areas where there are good transport links whilst ensuring better use of existing developed land. "Cutting this red tape should be a shot in the arm for the high street, increasing footfall and providing a boost to regeneration." Greg Clark, the planning minister, said: "The government is determined to make the very best use of existing buildings to provide more homes as quickly and simply as possible. "Ensuring unused space above shops can be used in a better way is one of the many changes the government has introduced to streamline the planning system and to cut unnecessary bureaucracy."
Colin James Posted July 12, 2014 Report Posted July 12, 2014 They are also opening up in one of the kiosks within the Old Market, This will be open next few weeks apparently, still lots of empty shops in the OLM
Colin James Posted July 17, 2014 Report Posted July 17, 2014 My Coffee Corner opened today in on of the kiosks in the Old Market.
ragwert Posted July 18, 2014 Report Posted July 18, 2014 This will be open next few weeks apparently, still lots of empty shops in the OLM I have heard a local company has taken both the kiosks on Newmarket Street. Paperchase and H&M open by end of July and River Island open beginning of September. There is also another restaurant opening
dippyhippy Posted July 18, 2014 Report Posted July 18, 2014 Paperchase is already open isn't it?? I think Joules are also due to open fairly soon. Will the H&M remain open in High Town I wonder...??
ragwert Posted July 18, 2014 Report Posted July 18, 2014 Paperchase is already open isn't it?? I think Joules are also due to open fairly soon. Will the H&M remain open in High Town I wonder...?? Yes sorry its Joules about to open,
Slim Posted July 18, 2014 Report Posted July 18, 2014 Having the choice to have a brandy with a coffee is nice. What's the matter with a pub? They serve coffee's. I frequently patronise a pub not far from the cathedral that serves me a coffee and brandy and has a beer garden.
Colin James Posted July 19, 2014 Report Posted July 19, 2014 It was very busy in Coffee Carts new kiosk this evening
Biomech Posted July 29, 2014 Report Posted July 29, 2014 Oh I haven't seen that ^^But that's what they have in town though right? I'm surprised Starbucks or Krispy Kreme didn't get in on the OLM Will the H&M remain open in High Town I wonder...?? According to the staff, the shop in town is closing and moving all stock to the OLM. I spoke to someone in there and she said she wasn't looking forward to having to move all the stock :P Not that I can blame her
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