Proposed changes to the premises licence at the LNER Community Stadium will be considered by councillors at a hearing on Monday 16 November.

Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), which operates the stadium at Monks Cross, wants to reduce its licensed hours from 2am to 11.30pm. It is also seeking permission to install a self-service “box bar”, screen films and stage plays, and hold music and other entertainment outdoors as well as indoors.

However, City of York Council’s environmental protection team has recommended that the application be refused because the potential impact of noise from outdoor events on nearby homes has not been properly assessed.

Two people who say they are buying properties at Castra Park, a new housing development next to the stadium, have also objected.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10am at West Offices on Station Rise.

What GLL is requesting

GLL says the proposed changes are intended to:

• Reduce the permitted opening hours and sale of alcohol from 2am to 11.30pm across all licensed areas.
• Add a box bar to increase the number of sales points and reduce queues during busy periods.
• Allow non-sporting events, including screenings of televised matches, where alcohol can be sold.

The application states that the stadium could accommodate up to 8,500 people at one time. Its original premises licence was granted on 7 January 2020.

Conditions agreed with police

GLL agreed several licence conditions with North Yorkshire Police before submitting the application. The police have not objected to the plans.

Under the proposed conditions, the box bar would:

• Be staffed by at least one bartender and one steward whenever it is open.
• Be positioned so staff can monitor it at all times.
• Use taps that are disabled by default, with a master cut-off switch behind the main bar.
• Dispense drinks in pint measures only.
• Prevent anyone under 18 from operating the pumps.

Additional football or rugby events, such as screenings of play-off games or cup finals, would be limited to two per team each year. GLL would also need to give the council at least 14 days’ notice and submit an event management plan.

Noise concerns

The council’s environmental protection team has raised concerns about outdoor entertainment continuing until 11.30pm, which it says falls within the night-time period.

Before the application was submitted, the team asked GLL to commission a noise-impact assessment by a qualified acoustician. The assessment would have measured background noise around the stadium and examined whether music could be limited to no more than 15 decibels above that level at the nearest homes.

The team said the assessment had not been completed, leaving officers unable to determine what noise controls would be effective or recommend suitable licence conditions.

Previous noise reports considered the stadium’s hospitality suites, match-day crowds and afternoon music events, but not outdoor entertainment during the evening. Officers also noted that the Castra Park development would bring homes closer to the stadium.

They have therefore recommended refusal of the application on the grounds of preventing public nuisance.

Residents’ objections

Two prospective Castra Park residents have submitted objections citing all four licensing objectives. Their names have been withheld by the council.

One objector said the box bar and televised events could create severe public nuisance, including rowdy crowds leaving the stadium at 11.30pm.

The other said around 300 homes were being built immediately west of the stadium bowl and noted that the housing development had been approved after the stadium.

What happens next

The licensing sub-committee can approve the changes, impose revised conditions, or reject all or part of the application.

The committee report does not make a recommendation beyond asking councillors to determine the application. GLL and those who submitted objections will have the right to appeal the decision at a magistrates’ court.

Until the sub-committee reaches its decision, the stadium’s existing arrangements will remain unchanged. If approved, the box bar is intended to reduce queues at busy times, while proposed plays, films and outdoor concerts will depend on the outcome of the hearing.