A licencing row has broken out over an LGBT bar in Kent after the council suggested punters might "urinate" in the car park.
La! in Margate had applied for approval to extend its closing time from 11pm every night to midnight in the week and 2.30am at weekends.
However, Thanet District Council's parking team had issued an objection to the plans, raising fears of revellers "urinating" behind cars or even "falling into them."
The concerns were dismissed by one councillor, who suggested the conditions were no worse than they were "outside the Wetherspoons in Ramsgate every Friday and Saturday night."
La! in Margate has been successful in its application
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The venue is the successor to Sundowners, the longstanding LGBT bar in Albert Terrace which closed in October 2024.
The directors of Proud Pink Inns, which ran Sundowners applied to the council earlier this year for a new licence as they were looking to extend its opening times.
Representing owners Iain Maxstead and Gareth Braithwaite was Jerome Dillon, who told the council meeting: "They're very experienced – Mr Maxstead ran premises in London, and all the time they were at Sundowners there were never any problems."
Braithwaite added: "It's not a real late club, it's a very different operation to what Sundowners was.
"Upstairs is very much a lounge, relaxed bar, and downstairs is somewhere to go later on if they choose to."
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The venue is the successor to Sundowners, the longstanding LGBT bar in Albert Terrace which closed in October 2024
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Maxstead continued: "Our client base, in principle, is LGBTQIA members – the community locally.
"In general terms, our client base is local and respectful of the fact we have a limited number and they know if they aren't in the door by 10.30pm they aren't getting in, so they don't bother trying."
A parking officer said: "Leaving that entrance, shuffling through vehicles or just intoxicated at night trying to navigate through the car park, gives us concern because you are leaving a premises straight onto TDC land, which we are responsible and liable for.
"It is the nighttime economy, people are going to be intoxicated. If there's going to be issues with people urinating behind cars or people falling into cars if they're intoxicated, they might damage a car. We don't want that to become an issue we have then got to deal with."
Chair of the committee Labour Councillor for Northwood Ward Debra Owen-Hughes said the suggestion that the clientele would cause that sort of trouble was "offensive."
She told the meeting: "I think [Maxstead] deserves some help and encouragement to bring business into this town."
The sub-committee voted to approve the licensing application, subject to the approval of a change of planning conditions on the building.
