Police, Selwyn district licensing inspector, and Canterbury's medical officer of health opposed the renewal of the licence for The Famous Grouse Hotel in Lincoln.
The Selwyn District Licensing Committee released its decision on Monday, granting a renewal for the Grouse, but with conditions.
The key one is instead of the standard three-year renewal period, it has been decreased to two years from the date the previous licence ran out.
The Grouse’s licence ran out on February 20, 2023, with the current licence expiring on February 20, 2025.
The Lincoln Club operates The Famous Grouse through its company Famous Grouse 2009 Ltd.
The club has about 500 members and promotes itself as ‘the club in a pub’.
Famous Grouse 2009 Ltd has three directors – Lynn Townsend, Brian Humm and, most recently, Dene Cassin, after Stephen Murray resigned.
While the club is the applicant, the committee noted the directors are responsible for the licence.
Humm is Lincoln Club president, Cassin deputy president, and Townsend is the immediate past president.
Townsend said the club has a lease on the Gerald St building till 2029.
The three agencies opposing the licence focused on the pub’s good-order amenity, systems, and training.
Most of the evidence from the agencies involved issues with intoxicated university students.
In a two-day hearing at the end of October, the agencies presented their case focusing on the Mr Grouse talent show, which police were called to after a male, assessed as intoxicated, smashed glasses injuring some patrons.
Ambulance staff attending the scene described it as “chaos”.
Both Townsend, the hotel’s licensee, and general manager Kurt Young faced tough questions about the event and other issues with the hotel, which included intoxicated patrons on the street outside the hotel and rubbish in the area.
In its decision, the licensing committee noted it was concerned at “Mr Townsend’s lack of knowledge of the requirement of the act (Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012)".
He was questioned about the details of the act during the hearing.
In its ruling the committee also said Young “will receive ongoing mentoring support by an appropriate person”, which is set to be completed by March.
It relates to Young’s “lack of response to recommendations made by the police and the (licensing) inspector”.
Since the Mr Grouse event in August 2022, all future Mr Grouse and Ms Grouse events have been cancelled.
In its decision, the committee noted the appointment of Cassin and his experience in running licenced premises.
Since the agencies opposed the licence, the hotel has taken steps to remedy some of the concerns which include only opening the beer garden until 10pm and advertising fewer student-focused events.
The committee noted that there was no public opposition to the renewal in its findings.
“If the committee were to accept the police view that the good order and amenity is so bad that the licence renewal should be declined, the committee would have expected that to be supported by neighbouring residents voicing their concerns.”
