A PREMIER Inn which a councillor claimed was accommodating some people in need of temporary housing in Carmarthenshire has been granted a new premises licence.
A council licensing sub-committee heard the hotel at Pemberton Business Park, Llanelli, already had a premises licence but needed a new one because of plans to partially redevelop and update the site.
The redevelopment will result in the demolition of the hotel’s adjacent bar and restaurant, which will be relocated to the ground floor of the bedrooms building. The new licence is for this re-purposed section of bedrooms building. An additional bedroom block will replace the former bar and restaurant.
Tim Shield, a solicitor on behalf of Premier Inn owner Whitbread Group plc, told the sub-committee that planning approval had been given for the revamp project.
He said there have been no previous issues regarding the operation of the hotel and no objections to the licensing application from key consultees, known as responsible authorities, such as the council or police.
“We hope to continue to be a positive addition to this area,” he said.
Cllr Sharen Davies, who represents Llanelli’s Llwynhendy ward, contacted the council’s licensing department to raise concerns about the proposed hours for sale of alcohol – namely 10am to 00.30am seven days a week – among other things.
Her email to the department alleged the hotel was being used by the council to house “homeless individuals and vulnerable residents” and that the proposed licensing hours posed “a real risk of increased noise, anti-social behaviour, and disruption to both vulnerable occupants and the quiet surrounding area”.
Mr Shield addressed her objection at the meeting only to say there were people who required accommodation via their council and that he did not wish to go into detail. Whitbread Group later said it did not accommodate homeless people.
Mr Shield said the Premier Inn operating model was based on leisure and business use and that there was no evidence of any issues with how the hotel at Pemberton Business Park was being run. Cllr Davies did not attend the meeting.
Sub-committee member Cllr Mansel Charles thanked Mr Shield for his submissions. “Everything is quite clear to me,” he said. “It is a shame in one way that the persons who are opposed to this have not bothered to come here to state their case today.”
Documents submitted in support of Whitbread Group’s application said the existing premises licence had the same hours of operation but more licensable activities than the one sought.
The sub-committee retired to consider the evidence before unanimously granting the new licence, subject to conditions agreed in advance between Whitbread Group and Dyfed-Powys Police. These include various CCTV requirements and a policy of challenging anyone who looks under 21 to provide identification if they ask to buy alcohol.
A Whitbread Group spokeswoman said afterwards: “We don’t accommodate homeless individuals. On occasion, we provide hotel rooms to local councils covering a range of uses including for council employees as well as residents in need of emergency or temporary accommodation. Examples include council tenants who need a short-term place to stay due to an unexpected circumstance like emergency maintenance, essential repairs or flooding.
“In such eventualities, clear service level agreements are in place which outline which guests we are unable to accommodate for operational or guest comfort reasons because our hotels aren’t suitable to meet their needs. For example long-term stays are not appropriate as we have a lack of cooking facilities and communal areas.”
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Makeing more rooms for more of the boats
Siaran Williams is it going to be a boat storage facility Siaran?
Siaran Williams what boats?
Emyr Evans the dinghys they allow in
Siaran Williams who takes a dinghy in to a hotel
Siaran Williams what the cocklers are staying there along with the fishermen I didn’t know that 😳
Will the new restaurant be open to the public or is it just going to be for the residents?
Teresa Bryant I think its residents only
Wendy Mathias thank you.
Thank you for your report and for highlighting the points raised during the recent licensing sub-committee meeting regarding the Premier Inn application.
I would like to clarify that, as one of two council representatives for the Llwynhendy/Pemberton ward, it was my responsibility to raise residents’ concerns formally. These included worries about the potential impact of extended alcohol licensing hours on local residents, including any vulnerable individuals who may be temporarily accommodated at the hotel.
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the sub-committee meeting in person as I was undergoing hospital treatment at the time. However, I did submit my objection and the reasons for my absence were forwarded to the relevant officer beforehand.
It is regrettable that a fellow councillor chose to comment publicly on my absence without being fully informed of these circumstances.
As local representatives, it is vital that we ensure residents’ voices are heard and that we carefully consider any potential impacts on the community. I will continue to work to ensure that local concerns are raised and addressed appropriately.
Sharen Louise Davies we didn’t have any say we right by them there’s no way we feel comfortable as they over looking on to our property with vulnerable person living here there is no way we’d agree
So they’re moving the bar and restaurant into the hotel and demolishing the existing restaurant building and extending the hotel for more bedrooms? Sounds like a lot of work for the same result and a huge cost. Weird business strategy that is 🤔
Dan Snaith whitbreadcare doing this in many places as a cost cutting exercise.
We used the premier in Gloucester keys a number of times and used the Beefeater opposite it.
They closed the restaurant and had a small bar and restaurant in the premier.
Looks like another Back hander job. Theres no smoke without Fire