Lost Society in Clapham launches petition against Lambeth council booze order

The Lost Society in Wandsworth Road
Lost Society late-night bar and restaurant in Wandsworth Road

Lost Society bar launched an online petition to avoid facing London’s first Early Morning Alcohol Restriction Order (EMRO) from January 2014.

This action follows the Lambeth council’s decision to open a consultation on an EMRO for the corner of Wandsworth Road and North Street, in Clapham.

If the order were approved, the late-night bar and restaurant, in Wandsworth Road, together with another three venues would not be allowed to sell alcohol from midnight to 6am seven days a week and “this will effectively mean the end of Lost Society” – as they say in the petition.

James Parfitt, Lost Society’s area manager, said: “The EMRO seems like a very heavy handed, and expensive use of the tax payers money for our little corner of Clapham.

“The council highlighted that the residents did not wish to be involved in consulting with the bars on Wandsworth Road and would go directly to the council with their complaints. With this happening, it left us with no real route of contact with them.”

Some of the people living in the area have complained they have been disturbed by noise and bad behaviour, with groups of up to 100 people congregating in the street after 2am talking and laughing having left the venues.

Cllr Jack Hopkins, Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Neighbourhoods, claimed: “The businesses have taken guidance from the council and police, but we remain concerned that this residential area just cannot cope with a number of late night clubs and the amount of people it attracts at a late hour.”

The council collected video evidence recorded people shouting, running in front of moving cars, throwing things, vomiting and collapsing in the street.

Manoel Collares, another bar’s manager, said: “We have been here for long time and then suddenly they decided that this area is considered a residential area.

“We spoke to the people from the council who came here and gave us all the procedures that we are following, so we’re doing our job.

“It’s not really fair, a lot of people will lose their job and the customers who have been coming here in these years will go somewhere else. It’s quite sad.”

The aim of the petition, which collected 1500 names so far, is to show the level of support for the bars in the Wandsworth area.

Stephen Thorper, 51, of Wimbart Road (two miles from the Lost Society) said: “I’ve lived, worked and brought up a family in Brixton for the last 30 years and I’m opposed to this new draconian law and the hypocrisy surrounding it. These institutions provide employment and business which are much needed in this area.

“Most people who drink alcohol are responsible people; it is only a few who are anti-social. That is what the job of the police is, to prevent anti-social behaviour. Well, at least that’s what I was taught at school.”

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