Taylor Square bars hit saturation point

BY MATT CARR

Mayoral candidate Meredith Burgmann has echoed the frustrations of Taylor Square residents following the release of plans for another licensed premises in the area.

If the plan is accepted without change, a licensed ground-floor cafe will be allowed to stay open until 3am seven days a week.

“There are already 26 liquor outlets in the Taylor Square area, and although I enjoy a drink, as do most of us, it will just be contributing to the present problems to do with public safety and late-night violence,” Ms Burgmann said.

The Nichols Street Community Group is opposed to the plan. A spokesman for the group, Brian Noad, said there have been problems with “maverick operators” at Taylor Square in the past.

“What council’s done with its planning is it has built up a continual conflict between residents’ amenity and council trying to have its late-night trading policy.

“This is just one point further in the alcohol saturation, and we want the council to control it.”

The cafe’s owner Gabrielle Suhr said the licensing concerns are misinterpreting the nature of the business.

“It’s not a bar that’s designed for the ground floor, it’s actually a new coffee house,” Ms Suhr said, adding that the licence would only provide the establishment with the flexibility to serve liquor.

The current plan has superseded a proposal for an upstairs nightclub in the building, he said.

Sydney City Council spokesman Josh Mackenzie said the city has received two submissions for the venue so far, and planners have requested more detail before it can go ahead.

The documents are open to public exhibition until 4 September at Town Hall House and Kings Cross Neighbourhood Centre.