A RHYL pub is still open following its appeal of Denbighshire County Council’s decision in January to suspend its premises licence.

The Millbank Inn, on Grange Road, was handed a 10-week suspension by the council in mid-January following an application from North Wales Police for the local authority to review it.

This followed police reports of the pub’s manager and staff members fighting with customers.

Police said the incidents included one where a customer was left unconscious outside the pub, and another where somebody was strangled.

But last Tuesday (March 19), a preliminary hearing took place at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court, following The Millbank’s decision to appeal the suspension.

Given it appealed within the 21 days after it was served with the suspension, it is allowed to stay open at least until the court proceedings have concluded.

The case will next be heard at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on June 10.

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There were five listed reasons as to why The Millbank has chosen to appeal its suspension – it argues the following:

  • The council’s decision was against the weight of evidence before it.
  • The council failed to give sufficient weight to the evidence of The Millbank.
  • The council failed to properly consider the steps that the premises licence holder had offered in order to promote the licensing objectives.
  • The council failed to give sufficient weight to its own statement of licensing policy when arriving at its decision.
  • The council’s decision was neither proportionate nor appropriate.

Parmvir Singh Bisla, the premises licence holder for The Millbank, said: “We are indeed still open, as we have appealed the decision of the council, and are awaiting the hearing in June.

“We appealed the council’s decision within the 21 days we were given to either accept the decision or to put up an appeal - I assume the courts are busy, which is why the hearing took place at a much later date.

“If the council’s decision is appealed, we can exercise our licence as normal until a decision is reached by the court.

“The reason for our appeal is that the 10-week suspension was to allow us to have time to fulfil objectives given to us by the council (e.g. getting clearer cameras into two areas).

“However, we have already completed those, so are asking for the suspension to be greatly reduced or to not be applied.

“We believe the court will allow us to show the council that we have completed the objectives they set out for us, so will let us resolve it among ourselves.”

North Wales Police said staff members had acted with excessive force, failing to uphold the conditions of the licence, including preventing crime and disorder, ensuring public safety, preventing public nuisance, and protecting children from harm.

According to a licensing report on the council’s website, police officers questioned the manner of the manager and his family who, in their opinion, acted “extremely aggressively” to customers, with further concerns that a 17-year-old was repeatedly assaulted.

Denbighshire County Council was also approached for comment.