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Members of a social club say they feel “under attack” from neighbours ahead of a crunch meeting which could determine the venue’s future.
Aylesford Village Club’s premises certificate will be reviewed by councillors today following a number of complaints from those living nearby.
Neighbours believe there has been a significant increase in noise and litter produced by customers, with reports of food and balloons being thrown into gardens.
One neighbour even felt she had to padlock her dustbin to railings outside her home to protect it from rowdy drinkers.
Scenes of punters swearing, shouting and fighting had intimidated children living on the street, it was claimed in written representations, while there were also complaints over the presence of urine and used condoms on the site.
One neighbour said they had been forced to raise the height of their fence to ensure they were not at eye-level with those in the pub car park.
The club, which has a licence for activities including the sale of alcohol, performance of dance, films, indoor sporting events and live music, also received support ahead of the hearing, with one describing the nature of the complaints made as “petty”.
This was a sentiment shared by club trustee Mark Oliver, who insisted the venue had always addressed issues when raised by complainants.
“There was an issue at one stage with us having bonfires and we held our hands up, admitted we were in the wrong, and haven’t done anything like that since,” he said.
“A few years ago we had a complaint that too much noise was coming from customers using our dartboard, so we added some insulation material.
“Some of the comments are ridiculous, how can you prove that a used condom has come from the club? It just feels like we’re under attack.
“If worst comes to worst and they decide to withdraw our certificate, we’ll have no choice but to sell the premises, probably for housing, which will be a real shame for the community.”
Tonbridge and Malling council’s Licensing and Appeals Panel will decide today whether to modify the conditions of club’s certificate, to exclude a particular activity, to suspend the licence for up to three months, or to withdraw it altogether.
