Sports Bar owner Neal Hayes said he has taken the decision after “careful consideration” and taking into account the reservations and concerns of people living nearby.

In March, a three-member panel of Hart District Council’s licensing committee threw out the topless dancing bid following a hearing and nearly 90 minutes of deliberation. It also refused permission for an extension to alcohol sales at the Albert Street bar.

Mr Hayes appealed against the decision, but Aldershot magistrates referred the matter back to Hart District Council to decide. As a result, Mr Hayes said he had decided not to continue with the application for exotic dancing or the extension to opening hours between Mondays and Wednesdays.

He told the original three-member panel that the only part of the existing application he wanted to pursue was the extension on Thursday night to run alongside the current Friday and Saturday night hours.

Mr Hayes added: “I am the only independent licensed premises in Fleet and also the only premises that closes at 11pm on a Thursday. This has had an adverse effect on my business as people leave between 10.30pm and 11pm to go to the other pubs and Jaxx nightclub, which is next door and has a licence considerably later than the Sports Bar.”

Mr Hayes told the licensing members that he has been the owner and licensee of the Sports Bar for more than six years and has an excellent reputation and working relationship with the police and local authorities.
He added: “I try to go above and beyond what is expected of me and work closely with Pc Sebastian Pearce, the Hart licensing officer.”

Mr Hayes said that with the compromises he is making by only asking for an extension on Thursday nights, he felt the original objections about the protection of children from harm from the exotic dancing would be less relevant.

He said he had taken extra steps to try and limit public nuisance and has installed an enclosed outside designated area to prevent people straying outside the premises.

Mr Hayes has taken on a new manager, who is also a personal license holder, so the pair can patrol outside the bar on a more regular basis.

“I feel an extension on a Thursday night merely lets me compete with the other venues in Fleet,” he said.
After hearing Mr Hayes’ evidence, the original licensing panel granted the extension to his Thursday opening hours from 11pm to 1am.

Mr Hayes told the Mail he was pleased with the outcome.

He said:  “The exotic dancing was something I thought would be a bit different for Fleet. However, after careful consideration for my neighbours I have decided not to proceed with it.”

David King, Hart’s senior licensing officer, was happy with the outcome.

He said: “We thought it was a very good compromise in the circumstances. We are pleased that Mr Hayes has taken account of the concerns raised at the original hearing.

“We will monitor the situation regarding outside noise levels and hopefully it will be acceptable for residents in the area.”

Mr Hayes originally asked for an extension of alcohol sales until midnight from Monday to Wednesday and until 1am on Thursday, with the option of dancing until midnight from Monday to Wednesday and until 1am from Thursday to Saturday.

Hart District Council’s environmental health department raised concerns about public nuisance, while police were concerned about associated crime and the protection of children from harm while the adult dancing took place.

However, both objections were withdrawn after Mr Hayes agreed to a number of conditions.

In March, Mr Hayes told the licensing hearing that he was looking at doing a once-a-month table-dancing event.

When asked to define ‘exotic dancing’ Mr Hayes replied: “It’s more of a show. It’s not going to be a seedy lap dancing bar which some people are trying to make out.”

He said there would not be full nudity, with four or five girls taking it in turns to do a show on the stage. Mr Hayes said the shows would take the form of topless pole dancing.

He added: “Most of the dancers will wear bikinis or bikini-like tops.”

Hart received 11 letters of objection from nearby residents.

Former Hart district councillor John Pearson spoke at the hearing on behalf of a couple who live opposite the bar and have two boys aged nine and 12 who sleep in a front bedroom looking straight across the road towards the front of the bar.

One woman from Albert Street told the hearing: “A sports bar is fine — a sports bar with sleaze in it is not.”
Another woman said: “This is fully clothed men being titillated by semi-naked women.”