“Significant concerns” over mass brawls and drunken assaults at the Southsea Brunch Klub as premises licence is reviewed

Portsmouth City Council’s licensing sub-committee will meet next week to determine the restaurant and bar’s premises licence – which authorises the sale of alcohol and late-night entertainment at the Elm Grove venue.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police Constabulary requested the review due to “significant concerns relating to crime and disorder, public safety and public nuisance”. However SBK has told The News it will provide ‘a robust defense against allegations’ and said it had already suggested measures to prevent any further issues.

Portsmouth City Council is due to hear that recent police reports describe violent crime, disorder, and anti-social behaviour by the customers at SBK. It says that intoxication is a “contributory factor” to this and that drink discounts such as 2-4-1 cocktails, happy hours and bottomless brunches are “irresponsible”.

It adds: “The business seems to be entirely based around discounted alcohol, multi-purchase discounts and the provision of an unspecified amount of alcohol for a fixed fee with 90 minutes to drink your money’s worth.”

The police recommend the sub-committee prohibit alcohol promotions, reduce permitted hours to 11pm or consider revoking the premises licence altogether.

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It comes after the sub-committee approved a reduction of seats in the venue in October last year. The owner requested to reduce the seats from 100 to 70 but the council ensured a minimum of 85 seats to keep the venue “restaurant-focused”. At the time, the changes were said to give the venue more flexibility and would allow the business to succeed. However, the police have asked the sub-committee to consider whether they were “deliberately misled” during the hearing.

A total of eight incidents at the venue have been reported to the police – one involved a “very drunk male” who was ejected from SBK and then assaulted a member of staff, he was then taken to the ground in the road in front of moving traffic – he was restrained there for eight minutes before police arrived.

A report being presented to the council says there were two reports during New Year’s Eve relating to a large-scale fight, one reported 30 people fighting while the other reported 50 – this had occurred in the venue and spilt onto the street.

The licence review has received 12 representations from local residents including former Portsmouth councillor Scott Payter-Harris, who chaired the licensing committee for eight years – he described the police’s recommendations as “unrealistic”.

In light of the report a statement from SBK said it will ‘provide a robust defense against allegations during an upcoming hearing’ following what it described as ‘an unfortunate incident on New Year's Eve’.

"We want to make it clear that we are committed to addressing any concerns raised by the community and authorities. Our focus has always been on providing a safe and enjoyable environment for our patrons," said SKB’s Steve Hudson

In response to the concerns raised, SBK said that it has proactively offered measures to appease both the police and local residents which had not been accepted by the police, leading to the review which is due to take place next week.

Mr Hudson said he was confident a way forward can be found. He said: "We firmly believe that a resolution can be achieved through constructive dialogue. We have extended invitations to sit around the table and find common ground. We are committed to working collaboratively with the community, authorities, and residents to address any valid concerns.”

SBK told The News it remains dedicated to maintaining a positive and respectful relationship with the community. It said the upcoming hearing provided an opportunity to present a ‘comprehensive defense and demonstrate the commitment to responsible business practices’.