Dean Holmes, owner of Brighton’s oldest gay bar, the Bulldog and Sussex Police came to an agreement, yesterday, March 8, at a Brighton Magistrates Court hearing to establish what Brighton Council’s legal representative described as “a way ahead for the Bulldog moving forward”.
The parties ended up in Court following an appeal by Sussex Police for a review of the Bulldog license which was heard by City Councillors in September, 2015.
Sussex Police and the Bulldog both appealed to City Magistrates the decision of the Council’s licensing panel which is made up of elected Councillors and chaired by Cllr Mo Marsh, the Labour Councillor for Mouslecoomb & Bevendean.
The Council’s original licensing panel decision of September 2015 included reducing the Bulldog hours at weekends till 2am with one hour drinking up time (affecting their busiest time for trading) and reducing opening hours on Sunday to Thursday from 11am to midnight with a closing time of 1am.
Under the new agreement the Bulldog gained an extra drinking hour on Friday and Saturday nights to 3am with a closing time of 4am and in return agreed to install an ID scanner which will be implemented when door staff are on duty.
New Opening Hours
Sunday-Thursday: 11am-midnight with closing time 1am
Friday-Saturday: 11am-3am with closing time 4am