Hereford cafe licence bid challenged

Granting an alcohol licence to a play café and bakery in Hereford would lead to “inevitable disorder”, according to a near neighbour.

The unnamed female neighbour told the council licensing committee that JJ & Little Dots in Bridge Street “is and will have a detrimental impact on our lives”.

She claimed its bid for a licence to sell alcohol between the hours of 9am to 10pm “will undoubtedly give us cause to consider having to move away and shoulder the inevitable drop in the value of our property”.

The area’s residential properties “deserve to be protected from the inevitable disorder an alcohol licence will bring”, she said.

The agent for café said they had messaged the neighbour seeking to address her concerns, but had received no reply.

The message had said: “Although we don’t think [the change] would cause inevitable disorder, we are more than willing to compromise on the timings to give you the reassurances that you need,” including dropping the café’s bid for later opening on holidays.

The licensing committee will decide the application this Friday morning.