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Chittaway Tavern’s bid to extend trading by two hours a day

Chittaway Tavern has lodged another application to extend trading by two hours a day after it was knocked back by police and council last year.

Chittaway Tavern has lodged another application to extend trading by two hours to 2am Mon-Sat, midnight Sunday. Picture: Facebook
Chittaway Tavern has lodged another application to extend trading by two hours to 2am Mon-Sat, midnight Sunday. Picture: Facebook

Chittaway Tavern will offer a courtesy bus, close its beer garden and cease all loud music at midnight in a bid to have its gaming room stay open until 2am.

The Laundy Hotels owned pub has lodged another Development Application (DA) to increase its trading by two hours each day; from 5am to 2am Mondays to Saturdays and 10am to midnight on Sundays.

Under the new proposed trading arrangements it would close its beer garden at midnight every day of the week and close its main bar and sports bar at midnight from Monday to Thursday, which is the pub’s existing closing time.

Chittaway Tavern would close its popular beer garden at midnight if it and other measures can keep its gaming room and bars open a bit later. Picture: Facebook
Chittaway Tavern would close its popular beer garden at midnight if it and other measures can keep its gaming room and bars open a bit later. Picture: Facebook

It then wants to keep its bars open till 1am Friday-Saturday and midnight on Sunday but keep its 26 machine gaming area open to 2am every day except Sunday when it would shut at midnight with the rest of the venue.

A similar application was withdrawn last year when police raised concerns about intoxicated people leaving the venue “at more sensitive times” in the early hours of the morning could trigger more noise complaints.

Central Coast Council also quickly knocked the proposal on the head because its social impact statement was “inadequate”, failed to include any community consultation and could not demonstrate how the positive outcomes of extending trading hours could mitigate the negatives.

The proposal does not seek to change its bistro hours. Picture: Facebook
The proposal does not seek to change its bistro hours. Picture: Facebook

In January Chittaway Tavern sought an extension to conduct community consultation but withdrew the application when council declined.

It lodged another DA last week after it surveyed surrounding businesses and nearby residents, which found “during consultation the most common response from key stakeholders was general indifference to the proposal with some opposition” including a concern about the general social impact from additional access to poker machines and alcohol.

Parking at peak times was another concern.

The pub is known for its mardi gras and Oktoberfest celebrations and weekly trivia and life music performances. Picture: Facebook
The pub is known for its mardi gras and Oktoberfest celebrations and weekly trivia and life music performances. Picture: Facebook

The DA said the concerns could be mitigated by closing the beer garden and the bars before finally wrapping up the gaming area by 2am.

It said the pub would also provide a courtesy bus.

The application said nearby businesses, churches or schools would not be impacted because they closed hours before the pub and there could even be an unwitting benefit to a nearby knock shop.

“It is possible the extension of hours may impact the operation of the brothel by increasing patronage from additional activation of area,” the DA reads.

However it found “pedestrian access between the two locations is limited” given the large intersection of Wyong Rd and Enterprise Drive separating them.

Council has sought further information and will refer the DA to its environmental health officer later this month for consideration.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/central-coast/chittaway-taverns-bid-to-extend-trading-by-two-hours-a-day/news-story/c2a25de344c071c099fd3a306f971fb8