SOUTH Holland District Council revealed late yesterday afternoon that it has called off today’s licensing panel hearing involving The Chequers Hotel at Holbeach.
The council says the hearing was postponed for “administrative reasons” – understood to be a mix-up over the advertised start times.
Before Christmas, licensing panel chairman Malcolm Chandler and two colleagues set the hearing for 9.30am on Friday, January 27 after police and a lawyer representing the hotel said the hearing would take at a day.
But agendas sent out by the council on Thursday, January 19, gave the start time as 2pm. A council official on Wednesday confirmed that was the wrong time and the hearing was due to start at 9.30am as originally decided by the panel.
The council now says a future date will be confirmed shortly.
The licensing review was prompted by police concerns over alleged violence and under-age drinking at the hotel.