A new drinking establishment is set to open in Spalding town centre despite police opposition.
Oscars, which is set to open at the corner of New Road and Broad Street, was granted a licence by South Holland District Council’s licencing committee at a meeting on Friday.
The 150-capacity venue that the company behind it describe as a “bar/lounge” intends to open from 11am to midnight Monday to Thursday, 11am to 1am on Friday and Saturday and 11am to 11pm on Sundays.
Lincolnshire Police raised concerns due to Sean Moyses being a director of the company behind Oscars (Spalding) Ltd up until he resigned from it on November 13 2019.
The police said Mr Moyses was the manager of the Black Swan, which is across the road from Oscars and which was twice before the licencing committee last year following high drug recordings within the premises.
Lincolnshire Police said in its representations to the committee, which was held behind closed doors so evidence in a police investigation could be shown: “Lincolnshire Police believes that the evidence presented strongly suggest that on the balance of probabilities that Mr Moyses is involved in Oscars.
“It suggests that there has been a deliberate attempt to distance and conceal his involvement with Oscars.
“Due to Mr Moyses’ previous history with licenced premises it is of great concern that the licencing objectives of prevention of crime and disorder, public safety and protecting children from harm will be undermined and therefore Lincolnshire Police requests that this premises application be refused.”
However Oscars (Spalding) Ltd with Charles Bond as its sole director was granted the licence with a host of conditions including one stating: “Sean Moyses will have nothing to do whatsoever with the business.”
The panel’s chair Coun Francis Biggadike, said: “The decision is to grant the application for the hours sought subject to the stringent package of conditions.
“The applicant is aware of the concerns raised by Lincolnshire Police and so must take all appropriate and reasonable steps to ensure that all licencing objectives are promoted but particularly to ensure that these premises to not experience difficulties in respect of drug misuse by those attending at the premises.”
