Torquay's Mambo nightspot can keep unique bar
ONE of the Bay's busiest nightspots has successfully challenged stringent licensing conditions which they claim are ruining their business.
Mambo's on Torquay harbourside launched an appeal at a day-long court hearing against three of 30 licence conditions.
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Mambo
The hearing at Newton Abbot magistrates heard that despite crime dropping at the nightspot, it was still the number-one trouble premises in South Devon.
The 30 conditions were imposed last June after a three-week booze ban on the busy nightspot on the eve of the jubilee weekend over safety concerns. The fast-track extradited review on the premises licence was brought last year by police after two serious glassings within a week of each other in May.
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Now the firm has made improvements to the running of the premises and crime has dropped.
Torbay Council, which challenged the appeal by venue owners Lifestyle Enterprises Ltd, has been accused of meddling. David Campbell, barrister acting on behalf of the firm, said: "Is it appropriate for Torbay Council to micro-manage a premises?"
Magistrates deliberated for more than an hour before allowing the venue to retain its centrepiece U-shaped bar — which police say is a pinch point for trouble.
The court also allowed the club to reduce the number of door staff, if necessary, on quieter nights when some floors are closed.
But the hearing did not allow the outdoor balcony to be used for drinking after midnight during weeknights.
The court was told Mambo no longer promotes cheap drinks, has changed door staff operators, has a new manager and uses clickers to control numbers.
James Eyre, managing director at Lifestyle Enterprises, told the court that replacing the bar was disproportionate given the improvements that have taken place. And he argued that £40,000 was unviable for a loss-making business that has already had to find £250,000 to fight the extradited review in June last year.
3 Comments
by JasonDC
Monday, March 11 2013, 12:36PM
“Nicold you are probably too old to get up the stairs anyway.
Mambo is a great asset for the Bay but public saftey and law & order need to be strictly managed.”
by MisterDonut
Saturday, March 09 2013, 3:51PM
“Mambo's always used to be an excellent place. The upstairs balcony is a gem but was never patrolled properly by the staff. I have seen people throw drinks off the balcony down into the street many a time. If Mambo had run it's operations with one eye on safety instead of two eyes on profit they would have never had any problems.”
by nicold
Saturday, March 09 2013, 3:21PM
“I wouldn't go into that place if they offered me free drinks for a week!”