Plans to reopen historic Kelham Hall to be discussed at licensing hearing

Newark & Sherwood Council will determine whether to grant a new premise licence for The Renaissance at Kelham Hall.

The hall was previously the offices for the council, before the authority moved to a purpose-built site in Newark town centre.

The Victorian property, designed by celebrated architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, was sold to developer Jonathan Pass in 2017 for £4 million.

The building and 52-acres of parkland was being booked for weddings and conferences before Mr Pass’s company went into liquidation this year.

A privately-owned commercial finance company took control of the hall’s financial affairs.

Now, it is set to reopen as The Renaissance, which will also hold weddings and events at the historic building.

The licence includes plays, recorded music, films and boxing, with supply of alcohol up to midnight Sundays-Wednesdays and up to 2am Thursdays-Saturdays. It also wishes to open up to 4am on New Year’s Eve.

The previous licences for the hall lapsed as the licence holder went into liquidation in June 2021.

Objections

Some objections have been made to the licensing department.

Andrew Fereday, who lives nearby, said: “The level of public nuisance has been significant under the previous licensing conditions, which limited the hours of operation to midnight.

“Therefore, extending the licensing hours to 2am and open to the public until 3am will only result in a significant increase in the level of nuisance.”

Nathan Morrell, another nearby resident, shared concerns about the opening hours.

He said: “I feel the noise, anti-social behaviour and parking nuisances will adversely affect my family and myself.

“I have lived here for 15 years and have experienced the disruption late licensing hours have caused, keeping my children awake, affecting their mental health.”

The applicant said doors and windows will be kept closed when regulated entertainment is taking place.

There is also a CCTV system and capacity limits for each of the rooms.

The venue’s management said it will be open for weddings and private events from spring.

It is currently open for bookings and ‘show rounds’, which means viewing the venue.

A licensing hearing will be held on Monday, December 6, to determine if the license is granted or refused.

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