The founder of a British bank has objected to ‘excessive’ plans for a host of the Henley Regatta to stay open late at night.
The Remenham Club in Henley-on-Thames wants to change its licence so it can stay open until 1am during the Henley Regatta.
The private members club sits on the reach of the river and hosts up to 2,000 people during the five-day long event.
Owners also want to extend its alcohol licence to sell until midnight.
But banker Ron Emerson CBE has publicly objected to the plans, taking the decision to a group of borough councillors.
Mr Emerson was the founding chairman of the British Business Bank from 2013 to 2016.
Before this, he worked as a senior advisor to the Bank of England and Financial Services Authority.
Mr Emerson was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Years Honours list for services to international banking and the financing of small and mid sized businesses.
An upcoming Licensing and Appeals Hearing sub-committee at Wokingham Borough Council shows objections from local councillors as well as Mr Emerson.
Writing to Wokingham Borough Council, Mr Emerson said the extended opening hours and alcohol sales would be ‘inconsistent’ to surrounding businesses.
He added the parish council are trying to implement policies against the ‘current excessive levels’ of events such as the Regatta within the area.
Echoing concerns, Remenham Parish Council said it is ‘not appropriate’ to request the sale of alcohol until midnight as it could set a precedent for other businesses
The licence holder, Paul Francis said the club has strict policies on age verification, safety and security.
Only those over the age of 18 are members of the club, which ‘discourages’ children from attending other than on a Sunday.
Mr Francis said the club is not near any residential properties, so no neighbours would be impacted.
Staff members would also ‘actively discourage and disperse’ people congregating outside, with any incidents recorded and reported.
CCTV is installed across the premises as well as the outside areas to monitor any nuisance or crime.
Bodies including Thames Valley Police, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue and Trading Standards were also consulted on the plans, but no objections were made.
Thames Valley Police had raised concerns about the plans, but withdrew a formal representation after Mr Francis set out plans for the rules.
A final decision will be made by Wokingham Borough Council’s Licensing and Appeals sub-committee on Wednedsay, April 23.
