THE Triple fff Brewery at Four Marks has been granted a premises licence.

It covers the supply of alcohol on and off the premises from 10am to 11pm Monday to Sunday – an extension of two hours per evening.

The application by Graham Trott, trading as Triple fff Brewery at Old Magpie Works, Station Approach, Four Marks, was determined on January 5 by East Hampshire District Council’s licensing sub-committee, under the Licensing Act 2003.

While the premises is open from 8am-11pm Monday to Saturday and 9am-11pm on Sundays, the licence was said to reflect the time when the brewery is open to the public for guided tours and tastings.

At the hearing, Mr Trott said the need for extra hours came at the request of his customers. Under the licence issued on August 4 last year, the premises closed for the supply of alcohol at 9pm each day. Mr Trott explained that the extra hours would allow people to stay longer, especially those who preferred to arrive in the evening.

The only pub in the village had closed and extended opening times would help put back into the community what they had lost.

Mr Trott had owned the brewery for 20 years and said he had not initially intended to install a ‘micro-pub’ but that it was now common practice with small breweries and he had to move with the times in order to generate income.

The licensing officer reminded the licensing sub-committee, chaired for the occasion by Alan Waterhouse, that if it was minded to grant the licence it may wish to consider adding conditions requested by Hampshire Constabulary.

There had been two representations from the public regarding crime and disorder and the prevention of public nuisance, the first pointing out that “Station Approach is an unlit road and late-night drinking could encourage vandalism” with concern raised about premises on the industrial estate as well as neighbouring residential properties.

The second pointed out that, having only opened as a micro-pub in November, it was “too soon for extra hours to be granted”.

The objector pointed out that while previously the area had been “dead silent” at night there was now noise from car doors slamming and people outside the premises smoking and walking past late at night.

The request was for the application to be refused “to give a period for the bar to run with the hours previously so that a real assessment could be made” of the impact on the local community, and to give the owners and staff the opportunity to rectify any issues.

While agreeing to grant the extended licensing hours, councillors agreed to impose conditions concerning staff training, the keeping of a refusals/incident book, that a system is in place to challenge any individual who appears to be under 25 and seeking to buy or be supplied with alcohol, and that when a personal licence holder is not present at the premises, a responsible person over the age of 18 is present who has written authorisation from the DPS to sell alcohol.

And there has to be recordable CCTV in place during licensing activity.