Residents concerned about noise, drugs and anti-social behaviour if bar is allowed to open late

By Tara O’Connor, local democracy reporter

Crystal Palace residents are worried that they will face more noise, drug users and anti-social behaviour if a bar is allowed to open until 2am.

Varanda bar wants to extend its opening hours from 11pm on Friday and Saturday night until 2am, until midnight Monday-Wednesday and until 1am on Thursday nights.

The popular bar on the Crystal Palace Triangle opened its Westow Street doors in February 2020.

But a handful of residents spoke in objection to the plans at a Croydon Council licensing meeting on Tuesday (November 9).

They live in neighbouring Carberry Road and claim that they area disturbed by revellers leaving the bar.

Rebecca Samuels said: “People cut through Carberry lane from Westow Street to the other side of the Triangle.

“There has been drug taking down the side of our alleyways so it is very disruptive to us. We are a street that is mostly young families or elderly people so it is quite upsetting.

“All this will do is move it to early hours and make it quite horrible to live on the street.

“We’ve had issues of music levels going beyond what was agreed, I admit they do turn the music down but it is quite intrusive to have to repeatedly ask Varanda to turn the music down.”

Ms Samuels said that the original application said it would be a “family venue” which she described as a “little disingenuous”.

She added: “I’ve not seen any evidence of ballet or orchestral performances, I don’t see how a 2am licence fits with that.”

Joseph Wood one of the managers at Varanda said the venue attracts families in the daytime and a clientèle of mainly over 25s in the evening

He said: “We are a very inclusive family friendly venue obviously in later parts of the evening we cater of an adult audience.

“We’d like to offer the local community a good selection of music and art programming something we’d like to incorporate into a later setting we continue to be very careful with our noise levels and keep in contact with local residents.”

Co-owner Claire Munnelly said she wants to be involved in the community and is “not in any way trying to upset anyone”.

Croydon Council’s licensing committee will make a decision on the application in the next five days.