Homesford Tea Room on the A6 near Cromford. Image from Google
Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Eddie Bisknell
A Derbyshire tearoom has been turned into a ‘biker meetup’ and compared to a ‘race track’, with revving engines and urinating customers, neighbours have claimed.
Derbyshire Dales District Council is holding a licensing hearing on Monday, July 27, for the Homesford Tea Rooms on the A6, between Cromford and Whatstandwell.
Residents living nearby say the route was already dangerous and that mixing alcohol with the existing noise and biker problems would cause serious concern, with the venue only accessible by road.
Nikky Cooper has applied to sell alcohol at the roadside venue from 9am until 11pm every day of the week.
Six objection letters have been filed by residents who live close to the site.
They claim the venue has effectively been turned into a meetup point for motorbike enthusiasts, instead of a quiet tearoom.
Residents claim this increase in traffic and difficult access onto and off the A6 has led to a number of close calls involving quarry lorries and vehicles rapidly braking, along with frequent noisy acceleration noises.
Dennis Barron, who lives near the site, claimed customers were often seen urinating in the car park, with inadequate space for the regular “biker nights”.
Similarly, Paula Greenhough wrote: “I am strongly against this due to the noise and unsociable use of the public car park being used as a toilet.”
She claimed the alcohol licence would “encourage people to drink and drive” which she said was “already a dangerous stretch on which several fatal accidents have already happened”.
“It’s like living beside a race track and it will only get worse,” she wrote.
David Giblin said there was an outdoor bar area which people congregate around instead of sitting inside.
He said: “Due to the location most visitors to the tearoom are obliged to drive a vehicle to the venue and whilst coffee and tea pose little risk to road users driving with any alcohol does. Lots of vehicles coming and going from the tearooms makes it very difficult for any vehicle to pull away from the houses close to the tearooms, and for any pedestrian trying to cross the A6 safely.
“The houses in this residential area of Homesford are very close to the venue which as a tearoom with no alcohol, music licence, and opening no later than 4pm on three days per week caused no issues with traffic or noise nuisance.
“However, using an alcohol licence to create a biker meeting point rather than a tearoom will lead to the situation we have in Matlock Bath.”
A poster from the tearoom operators, detailing their future plans, says: “Throughout the summer, we’ll be open until 10pm on Saturday nights for relaxed lounge evenings with music, food and drink.
“The premises licence will afford the opportunity to serve alcohol during events or such as high tea or a glass of beer on a warm afternoon. or a glass of beer on a warm afternoon.
“It also gives us the freedom to host small celebrations.
“Extended hours will afford job opportunities for local residents which will meet the high standard we endeavour to produce.”
There has been no objection from the council’s environmental health team, the police, fire service or Derbyshire County Council.
Councillors on the licensing panel will be able to approve the premises licence application, reject it or add further conditions.
