Plans for a roof-top bar above a block of flats may attract drunken behaviour and pose a security risk, people living there have warned.
And Brent Council officials say they still have concerns about Field Vision Bars plan to open a bar for up to 140 people on the roof of the Alameda building in Wembley Park Boulevard in Wembley.
The firm hopes to attract Club Wembley and corporate clientèle and has applied to Brent Council to sell alcohol from 10am to 11pm every night, closing at 11.30pm.
But some neighbours are "seriously concerned" drinkers will be able to see onto their balcony and are calling on the council to refuse the plan.
In a document submitted to the council opposing the application, one resident said: “This will bring nothing but displeasure to those living in the building of Alameda. They will be the ones that have to pay the price of drunk and disorderly people throughout the week. Those causing not only a nuisance but potential harm to adults and children.”
Another said: “We are seriously concerned about the lack of privacy due to the potential visibility onto our balcony. This would lead to an intrusion into our personal space. There is a serious risk of people throwing objects from the roof, posing a threat to our safety and causing damage to our property.”
Proposed Roof Top Bar Area, Wembley Park Boulevard. The roof is shared with residents\' private spaces. Image Credit: Brent Council. Permission to use with all LDRS partners
The entrance to the building is in Wembley Park Boulevard, meaning customers would use the same entrance as residents. Council officers also raised this concern with the applicant in February. While not explicitly stated in the application, officers claim it was stipulated that customers will use a separate lift.
Despite this, officers found that the bar risks having a "detrimental effect" on public safety, particularly relating to noise. They have asked for alcohol sales to end at 10pm and the bar to close at 10.30pm.
Like other venues in the area, the bar would face licensing restrictions on Wembley Stadium match days. But council officers and the police have raised further issues about how crowds or queuing would be managed on match days and how emergency services would gain access to the rooftop.
Wembley Park Boulevard. Residents fear the bar above the flats will be a security risk. Image Credit: Google Maps. Permission to use with all LDRS partners
An officers' report reads: “I do not believe the application, nor any subsequent correspondence has alleviated concerns regarding the promotion of public safety, especially on major football event days."
Field Vision Bars has not responded to the points raised against the application.
The application will be heard by Brent Council’s alcohol and licensing sub-committee next month (May 7).
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