The General Roberts Hotel, New Lambton: Bid to open until 3am

A popular Newcastle pub has applied to extend their trading hours until 3am to provide a “late-night offering” for the community. Read all the details.

A popular Newcastle pub is vying to extend its late night trading hours in a bid to provide a “boutique offering” to its patrons and address customer demand.

The General Roberts Hotel at New Lambton has recently lodged an application with Newcastle Council to extend it’s operating hours from midnight to 3am, Monday to Saturday, and be open an extra two hours on Sunday night until midnight.

While there has been a proposal to increase late-night hours, there would be a reduction in overall hours, the applicant “willing” to forego the early opener trading hours from 5am to open at 10am instead.

General Roberts Hotel at New Lambton wants increased late night trading hours. Instant Google maps.

The proposal states, the hotel - which is situated at the centre of an ever-growing sporting and community precinct - wanted to contribute in a positive manner providing a “boutique” offering as an alternative to Wests at New Lambton, located behind the General Roberts Hotel venue.

“Currently, there is a demand for an increase in safe and sociable later hour food and drink services in the Newcastle area and this application attempts to directly address this demand,” it read.

“The extension of hours initiative would achieve the provision of late-night offerings as envisioned by the community and the provision of these hours would facilitate the local patrons, sporting teams and community groups.

“Increasing the offerings for the existing patrons should reduce pedestrian migration to surrounding venues, less anti-social behaviour, enabling the patrons to socialise and become comfortable to reside to one venue.

“The proposed extension of hours can aid in fulfilling the objective of the Newcastle After Dark strategic plan in providing a safe venue. The proposal can help in creating a strong, safe, inclusive and cultural identity to the New Lambton area.

The proposal of late night trading hours at the General Roberts Hotel would “increase offering to patrons”. Instant Google maps.

“The Hotel seeks to capture the opportunity of expanding pre-existing offerings through quality food and drink, entertainment inclusive of live music and sports broadcasting, bringing the local community together whilst creating a vibrant atmosphere.”

The proposal also states mitigation measures will be implemented at the site if approved, to cause minimal adverse impacts on the environment or amenity of the surrounding area.

These would include, on the nights the hotel operates after midnight, employment of dedicated RSA marshals and and/or security guards and a trained staff member to undertake internal venue security checks.

The proposal states that increased trading hours at night would also “encourage the staggered migration of patrons and therefore reduce cumulative noise impacts on the closest residential properties”, and have minimal adverse impacts on social amenities, safety and crime risk, according to an environmental report.

The proposal is currently on notification period until August 25 after alerting 52 residential properties in the area by mail about the potential changes and inviting feedback.

So far, there has been seven responses to the proposal, some asking for further information, while some were opposed to the application citing concerns of patron noise and behaviour, littering and property behaviour.

One resident, who formerly lived in Hamilton and moved to New Lambton due to the effects of a licensed premises, said hotel operators (generally) “have no regard for residents” opposing the extension of trading hours at night.

Another homeowner/business owner in very near proximity to the hotel stated that they had experienced loud and anti-social behaviour after closing time and that this would escalate with later closing, citing they intended to raise an application with the local member if it is to go ahead.