Police happy with Dorset pub plans after call for licence review

They had called for a review of its Premises Licence after officers came across unreasonable noise levels and people drinking on the footpath outside the East Street bar in Wimborne, breaches of the licensing conditions.

At a committee hearing in Dorchester to review the licence on Thursday councillors were told that the business had been forthcoming in negotiating with the police to improve and had come up with changes which the force believed would deal with any future issues.

Since the call for a licence review former licence holder and Designated Premises Supervisor, Mr John Hewitson, has retired, replaced by his daughter in law, Laura Green, with the small bar to now employ a registered security officer at the busiest time of the next folk festival.

Sgt Gareth Gosling from the police drug and alcohol harm reduction team, said Ms Green had fully participated in the mitigation process since Police raised concerns and, working together, had reviewed all aspects of the business.

He said he believed the changes, together with on-going staff training, would help prevent any future problems arising.

“We now have ever confidence that the Butcher’s Dog will perform well and uphold the licensing objectives,” said Sgt Gosling at Thursday’s meeting.

Ms Green said the family-run business, had taken the review process as a positive step and had led to closer working relationships with local police officers, the council and licensing staff, as well as with the Wimborne Business Improvement District, Folk Festival organisers and the town’s Pubwatch group which the business had now joined.

She told councillors that she had also bought a decibel monitor and would frequently take readings outside the premises to check that sound level were not too high when music was being played.

“We have taken this (the licence review) as an opportunity to strengthen our business and to learn from it,” she said.