Update for local residents - May 2007
Dear Sir/Madam - As you may be aware, the Student Union and the University of Winchester are currently applying to Winchester City Council and other responsible authorities, for a 'premises license' for our new building, The University Centre. The University Centre will supersede the current Student Union facilities, and we will cease our trading operations from that building over the summer.
The license will set out at what times we are permitted to undertake licensable activities. Licensable activities are; the sale of alcohol by retail, the provision of entertainment and the sale of hot food or drink after 11pm.
This letter is by way of notification to you as to the hours we are hoping to be granted for licensable activity, the dates of our application and how you as residents may either provide support or object to our application.
The chart found below sets out the times that we are applying for under each of the regulated activities, along with our current operation hours in force in the existing Student Union and the latest closing times (terminal hours) available elsewhere in the city for comparison. This last category may be of particular interest, as it demonstrates the times that city going student customers would be returning to their homes. Venues in the city are not currently obliged to concern themselves with noise their customers make, beyond the few feet immediately outside their venues. We however do not and will not take that approach.
If we were to operate the hours listed, we will be able to compete on an equal footing with city venues and further encourage students to remain on campus. Our far more stringent policies and practical efforts and deterrents to mitigate late night noise (as stated on the attached operating statement and noise reduction policy) mean that residents are less likely to be disturbed, but if however they do have cause for complaint, our policies and actions, will ensure immediate resolution to the complaint, including permanently suspending persistent noise offending students from all of our events.
An additional half an hour after our licensed times for alcohol has been requested for our entertainments and food service in order to operate a wind down period, during which we will undertake the activity as stated in our noise reduction policy (free water, slow music, lollipops etc).
Terminal Hour Sales of alcohol from our shop off license |
Current Hours |
Typical closing time for city outlets |
|
Monday |
22.00 |
None |
22-23.00 |
Tuesday |
22.00 |
None |
22-23.00 |
Wednesday |
22.00 |
None |
22-23.00 |
Thursday |
22.00 |
None |
22-23.00 |
Friday |
22.00 |
None |
22-23.00 |
Saturday |
22.00 |
None |
22-23.00 |
Sunday |
22.00 |
None |
22-23.00 |
Terminal Hour Sales of alcohol from our bars. |
Current Hours |
Typical closing time for city outlets |
|
Monday |
01:00 |
00:00 |
02:00 |
Tuesday |
00:30 |
23:30 |
02:00 |
Wednesday |
01:00 |
00:00 |
02:00 |
Thursday |
02:00* |
23:30 |
03:00 |
Friday |
02:00 |
01:30 |
03:00 |
Saturday |
01:30 |
00:00 |
03:00 |
Sunday |
00:00 |
23:30 |
00:00 |
Terminal Hour Provision of entertainment and late night refreshment |
Current Hours |
Typical closing time for city outlets |
|
Monday |
01:30 |
00:30 |
02:00 |
Tuesday |
01:00 |
00:30 |
02:00 |
Wednesday |
01:30 |
00:30 |
02:00 |
Thursday |
02:30* |
23:30 |
03:00 |
Friday |
02:30 |
02:00 |
03:00 |
Saturday |
02:00 |
00:30 |
03:00 |
Sunday |
00:30 |
23:30 |
00:00 |
*Such hours only to be permissible 3 times per year for end of term celebrations. Normal hours for the remainder of the year to be 1.5 hours earlier than listed.
Winchester City Council will have received our application at the very end of April and will now have a period of a month to review the application and to consult with relevant and interested parties, including the Police Service, Fire Service, Environmental Health and local residents.
I hope that the enclosed information helps you to further understand our application and how we intend to ensure that the grant of such a license would have minimal negative impact on the local community. However if you require any further information please feel free to contact me or to view our website, www.winchesterstudents.co.uk/residents, which has a full copy of our license application to download and further details about the building itself.
Additionally if you do feel that you would still wish to make representation for or against our application then these must be submitted in writing to: Licensing Department, Winchester City Council, City Offices, Colebrook Street,Winchester,SO23 9LJ. Such representations should be made by no later than Monday 28thMay 2007.
Yours Sincerely
Andrew Hodgson
Winchester Student Union General Manager
Operating Statement - The University Centre
Prevention of crime and disorder
The following measures shall be employed in order to prevent crime and disorder in and around The University Centre:
- At all times when relevant, the Student Union will ensure that all events are facilitated by SIA licensed door supervisors as well as trained health and safety stewards.
- Door supervisors, health and safety stewards and the Venue Manager have radios to aid communication at all events.
- CCTV shall be maintained in good working order in all key areas of the building and external locations.
- The building shall have an adequate and well serviced alarm system, along with deterrent signage.
- We will be members of PubWatch
Public Safety
The following measures shall be employed in order to promote Public Safety in and around The University Centre:
- The University Centre shall have a full RISK assessments and fire RISK assessment, carried out by a competent professional under the terms of all current fire and health and safety legislation. These RISK assessments will also form the basis of the University Centre's occupancy capacities.
- The University Centre will have a maintained emergency lighting system and an effective and well practiced fire evacuation procedure.
- All University Centre staff will be fully trained on all safety issues and a fire marshal shall be on duty at all times that the Building is in operation.
- All staff who work behind the bar will be fully trained to ensure that no person who is drunk or disorderly or who appears to be under the age of 18 is served with intoxicating liquor and such training will be reinforced regularly.
- The University Centre shall be maintained to and all staff trained to, a standard as indicated by the Manchester Metropolitan Best Bar None accreditation scheme.
Public Nuisance
The following measures shall be employed in order to prevent public nuisance:
The whole building has been designed to ensure that it is sound proof.
A full and inclusive policy that deals with noise and noise reduction will be in place for this venue (see attached).
Protection of Children from Harm
The following measures shall be employed in order to protect children from harm:
- We may admit children under the age of 18. We require proof of age in all cases.
- We will allow persons over the age of 16 to attend public live music, comedy or amateur theatre event, providing they are accompanied by a responsible adult and have proof of age if requested.
- We allow persons under the age of 18 to attend an event that has been specifically designed for this age group and only when no alcohol is on sale from any venue relating to the event.
- Under 18's are not permitted entry into any event that finishes after 12am.
- Venue Noise Reduction Policy.
Winchester Student Union Mission Statement:
_"Serving and Supporting the Student Experience";_ To provide support for it's members in their studies and in student life, to serve them through representation, dedicated commercial activities, student-led democracy, and a maintained awareness of student's issues and beliefs.
Statement of intent:
The Student Union is an organisation that is run for the benefit of its student members, by an executive of trustees elected from the student population of the University of Winchester. This executive in turn appoints and employs a team of full time professional staff to advice and run elements of the organisation such as its commercial endeavours.
The Student Union has existed in one form or another at it's old location since the early 70's and identified early on that one of the strands of it's commercial activities should include providing safe and student focused venue space for the social extra curricular enjoyment of it's student members. The University is supportive of the organisation in its activities as it is seen that such social facilities to enhance the holistic student experience.
The Student Union recognises that it's new facilities are situated at the main campus of the university, which is itself located within a residential district and that undue noise and disturbance caused by its activities may cause distress to local residents. The Student Union further recognises that whilst our relationship with local residents must be an understanding one, a degree of friction is always likely to exist due to the disparate use of the geography. The organisation must however, within its ability, make every endeavour to minimise residents need for complaint.
Noise reduction from within the venue:
In order to minimise sound emissions from within its venues, the Student Union resolves that:
- All noise emissions (particularly bass) are to be kept to the lowest practicable setting.
- All external windows and doors from our venue will be kept closed during evening events (or during daytime events that are likely to be louder than background music recordings)
- All external windows from our occasional venues on campus (exam hall, arts centre) will be kept closed at all times during use.
- Once per hour a steward or senior staff member will check the perimeter of the Universities campus and ensure that venue noise is not intrusive at distance. The volume will be adjusted accordingly.
Noise reduction from customers leaving the venue:
In order to reduce noise nuisance from customers leaving our venues, the student union resolves that:
- Adequate and obvious signage will be displayed at all exits from the venue reminding customers that they are in a residential area and should be respectful of neighbours.
- An annual SSHH (Silent Students Happy Homes) campaign shall be enforced and active all academic year. This will include weekly notification in our student news letters, periodic email reminders and liaison with external partners such as PubWatch and Taxi firms.
- All new intake students will be informed at length as to their responsibilities within the community upon arrival and enrolment.
- Stewards will be placed at all egress points from the venue at the end of the event and will verbally inform all customers of their responsibilities when leaving the campus. These stewards may also offer some manner of incentive such as boiled sweets, lollipops or bottled water.
- On key busy events SSHH stewards will be positioned at the extreme boundaries of our campus to monitor noise and behaviour as customers are leaving. SIA badged staff members will also patrol the Sparkford road/Sparkford close/Sleepers Delle area.
- Any customer who is proven to have made an inappropriate amount of noise upon leaving or in the local area, will be immediately and indefinitely suspended from using any Student Union licensed space in accordance with the powers and responsibility of the licensee to minimise public nuisance. The University may also take additional action as it see fit.
- On key busy events a free minibus shuttle will be provided by the Student Union to transport customers off of our premises and to their homes.
- The Student Union will in conjunction with the University continue to liaise with the community warden scheme and all local authorities in regards to our operation of The University Centre and thereby the Student Union.
Communicating with local residents:
In order to effectively communicate and educate localresidents as to our activities, the Student Union resolves that:
- A representative of the Student Union Staff Team and a representative of the Student Union's Trustees will attend all local residents meetings as arranged by the University.
- The Student Union will maintain and update pages on its website dedicated to information that local residents might find useful. The web address, www.winchesterstudents.co.uk/residents will be added to all materials that are given or delivered to local residents by either the Student Union or the University.
- The Student Union will endeavour to deliver to all residencies within a quarter mile of the University (boundaries indicated on attached map) at the beginning of each term, information that local residents may find useful - this would normally include any one off changes to our licensing hours during the period and a list of all events that we run including venues in use, how many students are expected to attend the event and at what time the event is scheduled to finish.
- All information that is given to local residents will also include information on how to contact the University or Student Union to make representation about any of our activities. It will also include information on how to contact statutory bodies such as the police or environmental health.
Summation.
The Student Union is totally committed to co-existing within our local community and will continue to be responsible for the actions of its members where practicable. It is also recognised that our local community should also enter into this spirit of co-existence and that our measures, whilst inclusive, will never be one hundred percent effective without the tolerance and understanding of residents in the vicinity of a social and learning centre.
The Student Union understands the importance of the issue of noise nuisance and hopes with the support of the residential community the initiatives stated in this policy will enable us to happily co-exist.
26 April 2006
WINCHESTER STUDENTS TOP OF THE CLASS FOR
RESPONSIBLE DRINKING
University of Winchester Students Union accredited by Best Bar None Awards scheme
by NUS Services
Demonstrating that they have social responsibility and best practice at the heart of their bars management, Winchester Student Union has been successfully accredited as a 'Best Bar None' venue.
As part of the Best Bar None scheme, Winchester Student Union was visited and thoroughly assessed before being granted accreditation at the Best Bar None Awards ceremony on Tuesday 03 April 2007 at the prestigious Liverpool Adelphi Hotel. Ray Mears - the outdoor survival expert and TV presenter - hosted the event.
The Best Bar None scheme was original piloted by the Greater Manchester Police force as a scheme to strenuously assess licensed venues, practices and policies and reward those operators who complied with over 60 best practice guidelines.
The third Best Bar None Awards scheme, facilitated by NUS services Ltd, rewarded 49 Student Unions from across the county for their practices and policies on responsible drinking - an impressive increase on the 39 Unions rewarded in 2006.
Ian King, Chief Executive, NUS Services Ltd, said: "The rise in Unions being accredited and entering the scheme reveals that Best Bar None is clearly working and is encouraging thousands of students to change their behaviour and drink responsibly, which is fantastic."
Kent Union was named the overall winner of the Best Bar None awards for 2007, but Winchester Student Union Vice President elect fro 2007-2008, Andy Wheeler stated, "Kent had better watch out as we have our sights firmly set on the top award next year".
-Ends-
Notes
NUS Services Ltd:
NUS Services Ltd is owned by the National Union of Students and over 200 Students' Unions from around the UK. The Company is the commercial focus on Student Union activity, providing purchasing and marketing services for member Unions and its brand partners.
