Sydney City Approves First Small Bar

By Ian Neubauer

The City of Sydney has approved the first development application for a small wine bar to take shape in an inner city laneway.

The city approved the application by George Bensen to open a licensed premises for up to 80 patrons on a site fronting Llankelly Place in Potts Point, with proposed trading between 11:30am and midnight seven days per week.

The applicant had originally applied for a 3:00am licence for 120 patrons, but agreed to reduce the request after he was advised the conditions did not comply with the Late Night Trading Premises DCP 2007.

The city received 26 submissions detailing concerns relating to the management of patrons, anti-social behaviour, trading hours, acoustic attenuation and the cumulative impacts of having another licensed premises trading in the area.

It recommended the noise impacts generated by the site could be contained through appropriate conditions to ensure the bar does not cause a nuisance to nearby residents.

The application is being seen as a litmus test for liquor licensing reforms that came into effect in July last year following a grassroots campaign for a small bar revolution akin to those found in Melbourne’s CBD.

The development approval is now subject to the applicant lodging a security management plan, with work expected to commence shortly.

To see the fine print, click here and scroll to point 10.

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[Wed 05/11/2008 03:51:33]