City Council rejects plans for new bar

Councillors at Nottingham City Council have turned down a licensing application for a fast-growing chain of bars, saying, if a Nottingham outlet was given the go-ahead to open, it could lead to alcohol-related crime in the city centre.

Palatine, which owns Alchemist, applied for a drinks licence for the 11-15 Pelham Street, and hoped to move in if and when All Saints moved out.

However, the Nottingham City Council licensing panel said the new bar was planned in a saturation zone, which means no new bars could open unless it could be proven that they would not affect crime rates in the area.

The Nottingham site would have been the first Alchemist bar and restaurant in the East Midlands. Others are located in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Alderley Edge and Newcastle.