To: Councilors on Brighton & Hove City Council's Licensing Panel 

This is a petition to show support for Brighton’s smallest music venue, The Pipeline. There has been a recent licensing hearing and the licensing panel are due to make a judgement in the next couple of days. 

The Pipeline has a unique placement in the grassroots ecosystem of the city. 
Being so small, with a capacity of approximately 50 people in the upstairs venue itself, it is where so many of the city’s musicians have their first gig watched on by friends and family. Whilst around 50 is the venues full capacity there is often less, especially when it is giving those budding musicians a helping hand. 

A number of valid points were raised in the hearing which hopefully this petition can answer. 
One of the main points raised was that the venue’s license was one for a restaurant. Cllr Thomson commented “I’m slightly confused. How come Thomas (Mr Evrenos) has been operating with impunity for seven years and nobody has noticed?”. 
Quite simply, this was because this venue has been extremely well run. No police action required in the 7 years. No noise complaints in 7 years. The venue has a particularly healthy relationship with its neigbours. 
And all this in an area where Sussex Police licensing officer Claire Abdelkader said that there had been an increasing number of incidents in the East Street area at weekends but with no links to the Pipeline. 

Councilors, this is not a business to close down but one to be backed and celebrated for its clean record. Also, why should an exemplary business like this require additional door staff when its track record, of seven years nonetheless, has shown that this is not required. Such additional overheads could make the venue unviable.
Police licensing and the council across many departments have publicly acknowledged that grassroots music venues pose significantly less risk of anti-social behaviour than most other night time economy business. Why penalise the good guys?

In the meeting Ms Abdelkader said: “The application does have the potential risk to undermine the prevention of crime and disorder, public nuisance and public safety licensing objectives.” I disagree. It is quite the opposite.
Councilors, I ask you to give serious weight in your decision-making as to what would happen if this venue were to close or have its hours curtailed. This is a small backwater street in the centre of the city. Its late-night opening actually deters anti-social behaviour. 
It is bright, creates footfall, the street is monitored by the staff and its customers. Without The Pipeline’s presence there would not be a single business open in the evenings and into the early hour at weekends. It would become a haven for drug dealers and the anti-social behaviour that you and the police are trying to protect us from. Just by existing, The Pipeline is having a strong positive effect on the area. Please do not kill this golden goose, please do not curtail its opening hours. Please also recognise that every restaurant that has tried to operate in this street has failed. The Pipeline continues.

This venue is not only a magnet for local musicians but is often where aspiring touring musicians play their first Brighton gig. When a headliner has traveled 5 hours or more to get here, they are wanting relax and have a drink at the end of their set and to chat to the audience. This is a big part of grassroots music scene culture and is an important part of building fanbases. Curtailing a venue’s hours so that it closes at the end of a headliner’s set makes the venue less attractive to musicians from outside (and inside) the city. 

Councilors, this is a highly professionally run-night time business. Its track record has shown this. Please do not jeopardise its viability by increasing its overheads. Please allow it continue as it has been doing and grant the license as the owner Mr Evrenos has requested. 

The Pipeline is idiosyncratic of what this city is about. Please let it flourish.