A TURKISH restaurant accused of ‘not complying’ with its premises licence will be allowed to operate under a new one.

Nala Lounge in Bournemouth is set to surrender its existing licence in place for a new licence with altered conditions.

BCP Council requested a licencing review of the Nala Lounge’s current premises licence in November last year – just months after it officially opened.

Licensing officers said the restaurant in West Hill Road was not ensuring that licensable activities were correctly authorised, or that conditions were complied with to prevent public nuisance.

After the review request was submitted, Nala Lounge lodged an application for a new premises licence with revised conditions, altered licensing activities, and an earlier closing time of 12.30am daily.

Speaking at a licensing sub-committee meeting on January 24, Philip Day, representing Nala Lounge, said: “I was looking at the [existing] licence, which with the greatest of respect to the licensing consultant who had been dealing with it, was frankly not fit for purpose.”

He added that some of its conditions “didn’t make sense” and the plan and internal layout was “incorrect”.

BCP Council licencing officer Tania Jardim added: “The new premises licence application was submitted by Mr Day by way of mediation to address the concerns raised by the responsible authorities and other persons in the review application.

“Mr Day explained in the application form that the current licence does not include regulated entertainment, the plan is inaccurate and the conditions inappropriate, and the new application seeks to rectify this.”

Ms Jardim noted that the new premises licence had received a representation from Environmental Health, but this was withdrawn after conditions were successfully mediated.

Four other representations were received on the grounds that the application would undermine the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, and the public nuisance licencing objectives.

Despite ‘re-assurances’ given by Mr Day, all four representations stood, with one person saying they were “still concerned by the impact the noise generated by people outside [Nala Lounge] will have”.

The meeting was then adjourned before the sub-committee returned with a decision to approve the new premises licence application.

Discussing the outstanding review application, legal advisor Linda Cole said: “Mr Day has indicated they are going to surrender the [existing] licence.

“To give time for that, I would suggest that we adjourn the hearing of the review until March 13 just for that process to take place. “