The Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee of Durham County Council met to consider an application for the review of a premises licence. The meeting was scheduled to discuss a review of the licence for CroBar in Barnard Castle following an application from Durham Constabulary. Councillors Jan Blakey, Matt Burnard, Steven Franklin and John Kinvig were scheduled to attend the meeting.

CroBar Premises Licence Review

The sub-committee was asked to consider an application by Durham Constabulary to review the premises licence for CroBar, located at 14 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle. The application was made under Section 53A of the Licensing Act 2003, which allows for an urgent review of a premises licence where the premises are believed to be associated with serious crime and/or serious disorder.

The application for review related to the licensing objectives of the prevention of crime and disorder, and public safety.

Background

The report pack included background information, stating that the Licensing Authority received the review application from Durham Constabulary on 23 September 2025. The application was deemed relevant and advertised according to regulations.

A previous meeting of the Licensing Statutory Sub-Committee on 25 September 2025 had already taken interim steps, modifying the conditions of the premises licence with the addition of four conditions relating to CCTV, recording of incidents, and improved communication.

Following the consultation period, one representation was received in support of the premises licence holder, from Councillor Colin Atkinson of Westmorland and Furness Unitary Authority. The Home Office responded with no representations.

Details of the Application

The review application was prompted by an incident on 13 September 2025, where a customer sustained injuries consistent with a Section 18 assault¹, allegedly inflicted by a member of the door staff. According to the application, the injured party contacted the police from Darlington Memorial Hospital, reporting that he had been ejected from CroBar and kicked in the face by a member of door staff.

The police reported that the designated premises supervisor (DPS), Mr Scott Philip Docherty, initially failed to acknowledge the incident or provide CCTV footage, and that CCTV footage showed the DPS discussing the incident with staff, despite claiming to know nothing about it. The police also noted that the incident book did not contain a record of the ejection.

The police also raised concerns that CCTV did not cover the entrance of the corridor, despite previous discussions with the DPS about this issue in July 2025.

Representations

The parties to the hearing were scheduled to be:

• Sergeant Caroline Dickenson, Durham Constabulary (Applicant)
• Mr Roy Sutton, Director of Tees Valley Taverns Limited (premises licence holder)
• Mr Scott Docherty (Designated Premises Supervisor)
• Mr Luke Sutton (accompanying the premises licence holder)
• Councillor Colin Atkinson (Other Person)

Councillor Colin Atkinson submitted a representation in support of the premises licence holder, stating that he had frequented the premises on numerous occasions and found it to be well managed and supervised, with no trouble or anti-social behaviour.

Options

The sub-committee had several options available to them:

• To take no further action
• To modify or add conditions to the licence
• Exclude a licensable activity from the licence
• Remove the Designated Premises Supervisor
• Suspend the licence for a period (not exceeding three months)
• Revoke the licence

The report pack noted that the sub-committee was recommended to give appropriate weight to Durham County Council's Statement of Licensing Policy and the Guidance issued to local authorities under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003.

Relevant sections of Durham County Council's Statement of Licensing Policy 2024 to 2029 included sections on reviews, the prevention of crime and disorder, and public safety. The council's policy emphasises the importance of proper management of licensed premises, comprehensive staff training, and minimising the impact of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour.

The Section 182 Guidance provides advice to licensing authorities on the exercise of their functions under the Licensing Act 2003. It suggests that licensing authorities should look to the police as the main source of advice on crime and disorder, and that conditions should be targeted on deterrence and preventing crime and disorder. The guidance also covers public safety, counter-terrorism measures, and reviews of premises licences.