Seafront bar facing licence review after years of complaints

North Norfolk District Council is to hold a hearing next week to decide whether to take action against Lily-Mai's, in Cromer, following a series of objections starting in 2016.

Among the options open to councillors are to impose extra conditions on the business - which previously traded as Craft Burger - or even to revoke its licence.

Neighbours have complained that music levels from the venue, on New Street, have been so loud that "it felt like getting punched in the stomach", while others said it caused pictures on their walls to shake.

Police say they have also responded to three incidents at the premises in the last two years. These involved a brawl, someone being threatened in the toilets and another person getting 'jumped' after leaving the bar.

A legal notice to reduce noise from the venue was served in 2018. Following this, Andrew Hubbard, the bar owner, agreed to a series of measures including holding a maximum of two events a year, that live music should finish at 11pm and that residents would be notified of events.

For three years, there were no noise complaints but in 2021 the council received fresh objections and environmental protection officers at NNDC called for the bar's licence to be reviewed.

Lily Mai's before the rebrand in 2021 (Image: Archant)

The officers have compiled a report listing complaints from neighbours. One said: "The music was loud enough to rattle the windows and shake the floors."

"People were screaming and ‘youngsters not old enough to drink’ were falling over in the street."

The complainant claimed this was "almost a daily occurrence and they had only had one night of peace in the past 10 days.”

Andrew Hubbard owns Craftburger in New Street, Cromer. Pictures: David Bale (Image: Archant)

Another neighbour said: "No-one should have to live with this – my lovely home of three years is now a nightmare.

"The noise so disorients me all I can only stuff earplugs in, pillow over my head and pray for it to be over."

NNDC's officer said this was a "serious breach" of the 2018 legal notice.

C B Hospitality, the company which owns Lily-Mai's/Craft Burger and which Mr Hubbard is a director of, accepted a caution for the breach.

NNDC said this represented "an admission of guilt".

Two neighbours have written to NNDC's licensing committee - which will decide Lily-Mai's future on Wednesday - calling for changes to the licence.

One nearby resident said they have had to change their bedtimes from 11pm to 1am because of the noise.

They also complained that customers use the entrance to the flats as a place to smoke, and that residents often find broken glass, cigarette butts and sick outside their homes.

Mr Hubbard was contacted but declined to comment ahead of the meeting.

What happened?

The first complaint to NNDC was made in January 2016, with a neighbour citing excessive noise.

Despite officer visits to the site, complaints continued the next month.

After February 2016, complaints became more intermittent, with some in October 2016, and again in February 2017.

At these times, one resident complained the noise was enough to "move ornaments on her shelves ".

Throughout 2018, NNDC officers spoke with Andrew Hubbard about the noise. In October an officer visited an event where she said the bass was so powerful "it felt like she was being punched in the stomach".

What did the police say?

Following reports of a brawl in 2020, police visited Andrew Hubbard to request CCTV footage of the incident.

In the police submission to the report for the committee, an officer said Mr Hubbard then became "argumentative", shouting at them when questioned why the CCTV system was not working. He also declined to provide the officer with contact information for his brother, who he said had kicked someone out in the brawl.

The officer said: "He was not helpful and I felt he was withholding what could be important evidence."