Hoylake at night: comments

Support for the Night Time Economy

• Substantial part of the Local Economy relies on the thriving bar and restaurant businesses which should be encouraged.
• Hoylake needs to support all business that operates in area.  We should therefore work to support those restaurants/bars that have chosen to open and provide jobs fir the area.  By removing late licences we have driven trade away to other areas such as West Kirby.
• Our bars are all great and bring business in. They should be supported, again under a theme eg “”the station qtr”” We have lots of cultural links and history which should be supported and celebrated.
• Huge opportunity to tap into Hoylake’s night time economy which has previously not been investigated.  Residents should not be worried about these developments, if handled correctly by local authority and businesses then residents should embrace them
• The night time economy needs to be encouraged.
• I believe that bringing more night-time public houses or any type of 24 hour buildings will bring more money, and more safety to those who find trouble in the night and need a well lit area or populated place to run to.
• I find Hoylake safe at night, and not threatening. I think it offers an excellent selection of restaurants and bars for its size, and the new community cinema project is great.
• The space for development is huge. New Brighton has increased its footfall massively by encouraging the use of spaces that are available to be enjoyed all day and into the night.
• Hoylake has been perceived for a long time as a ghost town, we should be encouraging visitors, gaining more for communities and helping struggling businesses to thrive, enabling a variety which suits the needs of the whole community.
• I like all of these ideas, Hoylake is already becoming a place to go “”before Liverpool”” for a night out, more leisure would improve this.  However be careful we dont become a direct competitor for New Brighton, and suffer its degeneration too.
• I have no objection to bars/cafes prefer this to empty shops. We must move forward. 1950 Hoylake as a shopping area will never be re-created.
• Residents have been very opposed to the night time economy leading to empty units, good quality restaurants and wine bars bring the people into the town at night and then also during the day when these places become lunch venues. The Wro do this.
• It is always good to see night time activity in Hoylake as it keeps the town alive.
• Hoylake has lost nearly all its bar customers to West Kirby thanks to licencing restrictions – this needs addressing before any more bars close
• With the bars pubs it brings more people in.
• The more bars, the more jobs. It brings people to Hoylake that may buy from the shops.
• Sometimes it is better to have some bars and restaurants rather than leave premises empty

Support for later opening times

• Emphasis on responsible alcohol sales with only limited opening after midnight along the high street.
• Some bars should be allowed to open until 1am regularly.  But only if they put in adequate measures to control noise output.  An action plan is required between residents, bars, Council and police, to implement measures to ensure a thriving evening economy.
• The bars need to be given more power to stay later as we have seen that with them losing late licences the bars are now struggling while bars in west kirby and heswall are doing a roaring trade and the shops in the daytime are doing well as a result.
• Later license for jack rabbits.
• There are a number or great bars & pubs who struggle to compete against bars in West Kirby that have later licenses.
• If Hoylakes Nightlife is to thrive/survive it needs the same opening hours as the towns/villages around it ie. Hoylake 12pm, West Kirby 1am ???
• Why can West Kirby / Heswall have late bars and Hoylake not. We are Home of the Golf we need to cater for them. We also need a gay friendly bar/pub
• Late night restricted to Friday & Saturday.

Against later opening times, and more peace after midnight

• I use Hoylake at night and don’t think later licences would help the community.
• Residents have the right to the Peaceful Enjoyment of their Properties under the UDP, and therefore the Village should be quiet by Midnight.
• I think that later licenses ought not to be permitted Hoylake is a largely residental area and night time noise is a problem which should not be encouraged by later opening hours
• Whilst the night time economy is important, Hoylake is primarily a residential town and the disruption and antisocial behaviour caused by later licencing hours etc is not acceptable.  We should build Hoylake to be family friendly.
• Residential areas do not need to be licensed beyond midnight – Liverpool is a short train ride away. Too much focus on bars – area lacks restaurants.
• I think we stay open long enough for our drinking licence.
• Licensing laws are late enough as it is without making them any worse. Friday nights are like being in a no go area for anyone over 40!!
• Bit difficult to have very late licenses when residents always are affected.
• Please no late licenses. As it is, people leave the bars and pubs, then they try to continue their revelling on the beach (which keeps me awake)
• Very late licencing of drinks only establishments seems counter-productive.
• Reduce noise levels after midnight.
• Later license may increase irresponsible drinkers from other areas.
• Misleading question above: Unless patrons are bound and gagged upon leaving licenced premises, residents will ALWAYS be affected. My neighbours and I have had over 10 years of battling against various late licence plans, anti-social behaviour.

Too Many Late Licenses, no more needed

• There are probably too many licensed premises at the moment, especially those with late licenses, and there is currently an unpleasant atmosphere on most Friday and Saturday nights that damages the image of Hoylake and alienates many, if not the majority.
• Yes to Arts Town, Culinary Town. No to shuttered shops.
• Already too many bars and late night licences, noise pollution and anti-social behaviour already around Rudd St; Wood St and Market St area – bars do not comply with licensing restrictions, especially Bar at corner Wood St/Market St
• The number of late opening bars is one of the major problems with holake and I needs to be confined eg to the station area. This is the thing we feel most strongly about.
• Please, no more bars, night clubs etc. There are too many already.
• Too many bars and resturants attracting people from Bhead, Lpool. Tarts and yobs making it like Lpool/BHead. It was a nice village, not anymore.
• Residents will always be affected by alcohol related bad behaviour. Less bars please.
• Object to any more bars, pubs and restaurants being allowed to open- there are quite enough of these already for such a small town.
• I would not really like to have any more late licences, loads of noise on Friday and Saturday nights as people walk towards Meols
• There are already too many bars and too many young people getting drunk & behaving badly in the street. Drunken loutishness at night is a serious problem.
• I dont think Hoylake needs any more bars-we are becoming saturated with them.
• Im very supportive of more activities coming to Hoylake – but dont support lengthening the nightime economy (bars, pubs etc) later than 11/12pm.  Any later – and revellers see it as an excuse not to go to Birkenhead/Liverpool.
• Hoylake desperately needs less bars & drinking establishments.
• Fewer wine bars etc.
• Too many of our bars and eating houses change hands so often that one questions why we have so many and do they bring financial reward to the village for the benefit of the residents or solely for the owners.
• Walking dog down Melrose Road recently, counted about 5 pools of residue vomit. Either theyre very ill down there, or too many drunks exist in area. Pools of vomit and police sirens will probably not attract visitors!
• Hoylake doesn’t need more drunks wandering around at 1-2am. It would be good to encourage the cafe culture. Festival of Firsts is a great example.
• There  are obviously enough bars as some are closing due to lack of business. They are also open late enough so they dont need more encouragement.
• Licenses given out like confetti. Temporary special licenses for events such as golf & Lifeboat Day & then resinded.
• We do not want any more night time activity associated with drinking. We have suffered constant disturbance and vandalism due to late night licenses. No space on form for strong objections to late drinking.
• Public toilet Melrose.
• I do not support any granting of late licenses – we already have too many premises selling alcohol.
• Too many late night bars in Hoylake now.
• Too many bars for such a small place
• If people want a smart Hoylake no more drinking venues.
• Fear of Pebbles cafe on the prom becoming a drinking establishment – enough drinking venues on hoylake main street without spilling over on to the prom.   Hoylake should be a place where families, older generations and the disabled should be free to enjoy.

Needs better management and collaboration

• Need better involvement by the council to police noise, late opening etc.
• Late night revellers should act reasonably.
• Give licenses back to magistrates.
• The benefits to the bar and club owners would need to be shared IF there are to be later licences – i.e. the bar owners need to share the cost / or cooperatively employ street cleaning contractors etc etc.
• It is important that bar owners co-operate with residents / the local authority, given, with the proposed Open Championship in 2014, that Hoylake doesn’t become a quick buck environment, in this area of concern. Stringent controls should be administered.
• Alcohol licences need to be considered on case by case basis rather than imposing knee jerk blanket bans, etc.
• Encourage establishments to put up respect our neighbours signs. Noise can be a problem.
• As pubs etc are struggling have a rota – thus where some pubs close and others open so sharing customers so all get a fair share making it easier to survive making it easier to survive.

Policing

• A police presence at night.
• The main problem in Hoylake at night are the kids and youths that gather in the streets and parks. Policing should play an important part in preparing a vision for Hoylake at night.
• Get the bar pubs and clubs to pay for extra policing at night to sort out trouble and to pay for broken windows and when flower tubs are turned over
• Police presence at night.
• More policing.
• More police presence, control under age drinking, more severe penalties for those selling it.
• Over the years there have been far too many young people attacked & injured in Hoylake. I think that there is increased police vigilance in recent years but this should be reviewed regularly.
• There can be noise and trouble in the street – often from visitors rather than residents.  Need a police presence especially at turnout time.
• More police.
• High profile policing at night.
• More police.
• More policing.

Cleaning up

• Making pubs responsible for clearing up cigarette ends outside their properties after a busy night.  Eg outside the punchbowl is disgusting on a Saturday morning.
• Bars should be legally responsible for clearing litter, glasses etc from the public domain before the next morning.
• Late night take away owners should be made to clean up the pavement or provide bins.  The pavement outside The Punchbowl is disgusting – full of pigeon droppings.

Alternative Evening offer

• Festive food street market by the row and along market st   not in the community centre, bring customers into hoylake not just to the community centre and then home.
• Maybe have a bar for younger people that aren’t old enough to drink yet.
• Skatepark?
• We badly need a “”theatre”” venue for films and plays – bigger than Melrose and better adapted than Commnunity Hall.
• Encourage diversity and safety.
• skate park !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Cinemas are much cheaper to set up and are mobile. They could be open-air, or in any large space, run from a laptop. Film festivals could be screened on the beech in the summer! Pavement cafes would also be welcome.
• Always the same old argument! Too many pubs! I dont think this is the case but it would be great to have something else to do in the evening than pubs!
• Hoylake used to have more than one cinema. Why did they close? You need to determine an answer to that question before you can realistically support the idea of a new cinema. The Film Club at the Community Centre is a good start.
• Offer more evening activities such as art classes, knitting circles, reading and cinema clubs, cookery classes and dressmaking. Encourage coffee shops, healthfood bars and cafes to stay open later to offer refreshments for the other venues not using alcohol.
• We should definitely have facilities other than bars and restaurants. Maybe a small art centre that incorporates an independent cinema etc…..
• Yes to Arts Town, Culinary Town. No to to shuttered shops.
• More quality live music, local musicians. there are many in hoylake, promote their activities.
• More deals on local restaurants midweek, more cafe-bars like Slinkys in West Kirby, i.e not formal and able to pop in for a drink without having to always drink
• Bring back the cinema!
• Continue and expand the cinema film nights at The Parade Community Centre
• There is such a wealth of creativity in Hoylake and this should really be celebrated.  What about a gallery?  I am pleased that there is some public cinema but would love more up to date or arts movies.  What about some sort of connection to the FACT in Liverpool.
• A bowling alley or cinema (or both in the same building).
• A cinema would be of great value to all ages.
• It would be great to have non-alcoholic cafes and arts venues open late.
• Later shopping.  I dont use the shops in Hoylake as I work full time and normally have house chores to do on a Saturday.  Leisure day is Sunday and all the shops are shut in Hoylake.  Late night shopping on Thursday may work, I would go then.
• The need to strike a fair balance between daytime activity (shops & facilities) and night time activity (largely bars & pubs) while having regard to sensibilities of local residents is crucial – but very difficult to achieve.
• There is nothing to do at night in Hoylake that is not alcohol related. A night market in the summer would be a good idea.
• Get real. Hoylake is not big enough for a cinema unless it is subsidised. Nor can it support a dedicated theatre. Amateur shows can be staged in church halls.
• A small cinema like the one we used to enjoy sounds perfect.
• Give kids a youth club in West Kirby thats sound proofed- or build a Marine Lake in Hoylake on all that grass thats growing
• Some form of shelter at night eg hut in case of rain
• New cinema nights are excellent, more like this would be good.
• A cinema is definitely needed instead of people having to travel so far.
• With the introduction of a cinema to new Brighton I do feel there is sufficient demand for another one here. The cost of going to the Cinema is so high nowadays, not as many people are going.
• Get businessses on board to do later nights, not just shops – we are solicitors and would and would offer late night appointments if shops were open, thus offering more services to the people of Hoylake.
• Films would be welcome. Good coffee shops welcome, avoid late shopping.
• Need a local youth club
• Later shopping for what? What will be supported by the community – not a nice attraction which fails through lack of use!
• More facilities such as cinemas, theatres, art galleries, museums etc.
• Cinema would be great.
• A cinema & art exhibitions etc would be a great asset. Hoylake needs an identity.
• Later venues such as cinema would be fantastic.
• An U18s club.
• We had a cinema which closed due to poor uptake. Dont think later shopping will receive much improved takings for shopkeepers.
• Lets not be a mecca for the elderly and alcoholics.
• More activities to do in the evening rather than drinking – outdoor cinema throughout summer months – maybe on the prom.  More art exhibitions.
• Just need to ensure that people feel safe and un-threatened by mostly visitors to Hoylake in the evening and weekends when walking through the village.
• Late night cafes!
• Perhaps an evening coffee shop would be nice, pavement cafe.
• Encouraging a retail park in Carr Lane area could provide later shopping, without clogging up the High Street
• An independent bookshop where literary events can take place
• Enjoyed community cinema
• Shops could open later for local working people to go in, and also people who come to walk round Hoylake
• Develop arts/music/venues – look at success of Festival of Firsts. Small cinema could be in empty shop. Late shopping in summer.
• Allow Pebbles cafe to open on prom
• Definitely a cinema is a must have for Hoylake
• What a shame we lost the cinema – it would be lovely to have one again.
• Cinemas, theatres, coffee bars etc would be welcome. Reducing litter from Take aways/ drinks would be good
• Later shopping.
• Look at Oxton Village and their very successful Gardens of Oxton and Christmas Lights switch on where all local Business stay open. Great opportunities to bring people to the area

Transport

• More taxis available – bus service to and from Wallasey, Birkenhead and the stations more frequently.
• Improved public transport at night into the early hours.
• Would like a couple more trains to run later than the scheduled service provided now to help remove the volume of people remaining at the end of a drinking night out around the pubs.

Improve Quality of Night Time Economy

• More quality bars and cleanIng up existing bars.
• Increase wine & dine mentality and reduce the “”boozing”” culture. Support bars that offer entertainment and not “”cheap booze””
• Hoylake night life needs concentrating on as there is no atmosphere, residents need to support changes.
• Improve the quality of the bars & restaurants in town. Too many down market bars. Improving the quality of other shops & businesses should help with this.
• Measures to attract a better class of customers to lessen the impact of the bar and fast food culture on the quality of life of the village.
• Encourage higher quality type wine bars (similar to Wro in W kirby) to accommodate mature clientele.

Better Lighting

• Can we have modern lighting on the pavement down the main street?
• The lighting in the side streets needs improvement
• Make sure Queens Park is adequately lit at night. (There are actually more dark & shaded areas created by the lights that are presently there!)

Age Restrictions for Bars

• No real comment. Young people have a tendency to binge drink! Maybe some bars should be 30+, only a suggestion.

Improve appearance of venues

• Most restaurants have opaque windows which does not encourage you to visit clearer vision windows to be attracted by the ambience.

Miscellaneous

• There are a lot of residents who do not wish Hoylake to flourish, and want it to be quiet… need to strike a balance, but..Im sure its always been the case here, that residents have their own way over business.
• The shop area the middle of Market St could be developed and used more. The area from the job centre around the sorting office seems a dead area.
• Late licences is a difficult subject.  I am waiting to see the effect of the 2am licence at the new Holiday Inn.
• The delays in planning for the conversion of the toilet block along the promenade is a disgrace. It is much needed and will only enhance the appearance of the area.