Licensing hours row between Sheldrakes restaurant in Heswall and its neighbours

Oct 22 2008 by Carrie Catterall, Heswall News

A ROW has erupted between a Lower Heswall restaurant, residents and Wirral Council over allegations of breached planning laws.

Planning and licensing conditions do not allow discos and dancing at Sheldrakes restaurant and usually restrict trading from 9am to 11.30pm.

However, owner Helen Demetrios has been holding weddings which do not cease until the early hours and include music and dancing at the premises.

Helen said: “I feel our neighbours are trying to restrict our licensing hours.

“It is uneconomically viable for me to comply with these archaic planning and licensing restrictions.

“I am taking these issues to public appeal, which is to be held on December 9.

“I just want to have permission for what I’m doing anyway.”

Steve Fitzsimmons, chairman of Morebank Residents Association, lives directly behind Sheldrakes.

He said: “Loud music is clearly audible in my house late into the night and it’s not very nice.

“We are not trying to be vindictive, we just want peace and quiet in our homes.

“We’ve got nothing against the restaurant as long as the goings on in it are within the lawful conditions.”

Wirral Council says it is investigating the issues that have been raised and will decide what action to take when they have considered all of the information available.

But residents have complained that the council have been very slow to act.

Heswall councillor Andrew Hodson said: “We are working very hard behind the scenes to do something about all this.

“My main problem is that the restaurant is in an area of special scientific interest so we need to make sure the planning and licensing restrictions are in line with this and are correctly complied with.”