Southwark wine bar approved despite local complaints that ‘people urinate on the walls of homes’

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

Another bar is coming to a neighbourhood where locals say their lives have been made hell by drunken customers peeing on their homes.

Southwark council has given permission for the Southwark Tap & Wine Bar to sell booze seven-days-a-week from a railway arch in Bankside, on the site of a former wine bar known as Blackfriars Wine Bar.

Michael Balmer, representing the venue, said the bar, in Scoresby Street, would be a good addition to the local area.

But residents of the Rochester Estate, whose gardens back on to the street of the planned bar, said they feared it would add to ongoing nuisance from other pubs and bars.

Speaking at the licensing meeting on June 23, resident Laura Wilson said: “On numerous occasions people urinate on the walls of homes and public spaces and congregate smoking in the community garden.

“Scoresby Street is very narrow. It’s just 10 metres across. It’s often blocked with cars at weekends with people parking illegally on both sides of the roads. That’s also quite a problem with deliveries because the roads often get quite blocked up.”

Ms Wilson added that the proposed bar had a different character to other local venues which were “sensitive” to the residential feel of the area.

But Mr Balmer said the target customer of the bar meant nuisance from noise wouldn’t be a problem.

He said: “While the previous establishment may have attracted drunk or antisocial behaviour, the current premises application is intended to be a hire bar and restaurant, date night venue, providing wine sampling and craft beers.”

Councillors gave permission for the bar to open from 11am to 11.30pm Mondays to Saturdays and from 11am to 11pm on Sundays.

Pictured top: The former Blackfriars Wine Bar on the site of the new Southwark Tap & Wine Bar (Picture: Google Street View)