Bar shut after public urination, mass brawls and ‘makes an attempt to sing Toxic by Britney Spears’
The venue, which had its permit taken away following a council hearing, was so loud that one affected resident moved in on a Tuesday and was forced to move out just four days later
Cloony’s committed multiple licence violations(Image: GOOGLE MAPS)
A bar that blasted out bass-heavy tracks at such deafening volumes that residents had to move out of their homes has been stripped of its licence.
Cloony’s in Reigate, Surrey lost its permit following an extensive hearing at Reigate and Banstead Borough Council on Wednesday (February 18). It detailed persistent late-night music events, people weeing in public and fighting on the streets.
Environmental officers reported hearing music – including songs by Kings of Leon and Britney Spears – thundering from the establishment as they walked from a nearby car park after receiving numerous complaints. Surrey Police also discovered severe licence violations including underage drinking and failure to meet crime prevention requirements.
The establishment was said to have operated under a continuous pattern of non-compliance and would bypass noise limiters fitted at the premises. Owners of the adjacent property also described the rapid tenant turnover, with one resident moving in on a Saturday but unable to remain by Tuesday due to the racket coming from the bar.
The council’s environmental officer stated: “I could already hear from the main street music blaring out of Cloony’s. It was someone singing karaoke to ‘Sex on Fire’ by the Kings of Leon,” reports Surrey Live.
“This was clearly coming from Cloony’s and nowhere else I add. Whilst inside 83 Bell Street I could clearly hear a man and woman attempting to sing ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears.”
He continued: “We keep seeing residents have experienced late night music – bass breakout and patron noise to the extent that it repeatedly interfered with the use and enjoyment of their homes.
“This is precisely the kind of harm the licence objectives particularly the prevention of public nuisance are designed to prevent.”
He stated that revoking the licence was the sole viable option, as “anything else would not work and continue to burden this authority, the police and the taxpayers to further monitor and police the establishment’s lack of compliance and disrespect for the licensed objectives.”
Harry Rose, representing Trinity Square developments which owns the adjacent building, informed the meeting: “We’ve noticed that there is a noticeable difference in the turnover between the flats that share the wall with Cloony’s and those identical flats on the other side of the block.
“Back in December 2023 we had a tenant move in on a Saturday, he moved out by the Tuesday citing that he couldn’t live there because of the noise from Cloony’s.”
He outlined large-scale fights that erupted from the establishment and multiple occasions of people urinating who had “clearly come from Cloony’s”.
He emphasised this wasn’t an exhaustive record since they only examine CCTV footage when official complaints are lodged. This marked the second occasion in roughly twelve months that the venue had faced a licensing tribunal.
Solicitors representing Cloony’s argued the problem arose from the council permitting residential properties to be constructed adjacent to the establishment without adequate acoustic insulation.
The legal representative stated: “First and foremost the decision by another strand of this council to allow homes to be built, not properly insulated, next to a long-standing license premises.
“The premises has been a license premise for as far as I can tell, at least 30 years” whilst noting that the licence had become unworkable.”
He continued: “Those who built these properties are not going to go back now and put things right as they should have done when they were built.
“Which leaves the premises license holder in a very difficult position. He is faced with a choice; change the business model entirely from a late-night bar into something else or shut down altogether.”
The barrister refuted any suggestions of licence violations. Cloony’s has 21 days to challenge the ruling via the courts.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
