Following a review of the premise licence for the Hairy Lemon pub, Erdington High Street, the City Council Licensing committee have revoked the licence thereby preventing any pub from currently opening on the site. At the meeting, last week, local Police, joined by Cllr's Robert Alden and Gareth Moore, who have leading the fight against anti-social behaviour locally, and local residents put forward a comprehensive case for why the premise should have its licence removed.
Cllr Robert Alden said "although the Hairy Lemon, were evicted, working with the local Police, we wanted to ensure that the premise also had its licence removed. This was vital as last time the pub was changed from the Old Roebuck to the Hairy Lemon all the trouble that caused the Old Roebuck to be closed transferred to the new premise. We did not want this happening again".
Cllr Gareth Moore said "this premises has been a blot on the High Street for years now. The Police were able to produce significant evidence from CCTV cameras about just some of the violent crime that has occurred due to these premises and so we thought it was vital that no matter what they were closed down. Thankfully the committee agreed and so the licence has now been revoked. The reality was over three floors this site is just not suitable for a pub in a residential High Street".
Cllr Robert Alden added "thank you to the local police for their hard work, to the residents and ETCP (Erdington Town Centre Partnership) who attend or wrote in letters objecting and to everyone who has signed petitions about the Hairy Lemon, together we have managed to have the place shut down for the benefit and safety of the local community".