Premises licence permitted at The Last Post, Dorchester

An objection to the application for The Last Post, based around fears of noise to neighbours, led to a Dorset Council hearing to make a decision.

The new licence will limit entertainment inside the South Street venue to 11pm and will ensure any outside seating is removed by 9pm. Live or recorded music will only be allowed on a Friday and Saturday and one other day per week and on New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve. Alcohol sales will be allowed to continue until midnight.

Exceptions, up to 1am, have been made for Christmas Eve and New Year’s day.

Applicant Glenn Chadwick had already made changes to the original application and hours for the café/bar after comments from the police and Dorset Council’s environmental health team.

Where the Last Post has opened in Dorchester

The changes, reducing the hours to 11pm and not having live or recorded music outside, led to both statutory objections being withdrawn, leaving only an objection from a resident from an apartment in the same building.

Mr Chadwick says the business hopes to run occasional darts and pool tournaments along with other special events and weekly live music.

The letter to the council said that while there is no objection in principle to the café/bar there are concerns about noise from the business for the ten apartments within the complex and about people smoking outside.

The writer, who was un-named, said that the previous use, the Durnovaria Wine Bar, which was in business until 2015, only staged live music if it was acoustic.

Mr Chadwick said the music he plans will be limited to duo and soloists, with no bands.

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Conditions of the licence include a closed circuit tv system being installed and used 24-hours a day with recordings kept for 28 days; no external speakers and a clear notice displayed at every exit to instruct customers to respect the needs of local residents and leave the premises and the area quietly.

Said committee chair Cllr Emma Parker: “The sub-committee was encouraged to see that the applicant had worked with the Police and Environmental Health Officers and had agreed additional conditions which meant that the two responsible authorities were willing to withdraw their representations.

“The sub-committee was also pleased that, during the hearing, the applicant took on board the reasons why the owner of the dwelling above the premises was concerned about noise and disturbance and they welcomed his agreement that live/recorded music would only be played on a Friday and Saturday and one other day per week and on New Year’s Eve/ Christmas Eve.”