Neighbours oppose scheme for cheap student bar in city park

The Dam House bar and restaurant in Crookes Valley Park has had a series of owners in recent years – including former Sheffield Wednesday player Carlton Palmer – and was sold in the autumn of last year after being closed for a number of months.

Now Kamalijit Singh Sangha and Simrun Badh, both from Grenoside, Sheffield, have applied to Sheffield Council for a premises licence which would see the Dam House reopen as a pub serving food from 8am until 11pm during the week and 11.30pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Promotional literature for the new-look Dam House advertises it as providing “more bang for your buck” and “calling time on overpriced food and drink.”

Flyers on Facebook and Twitter also say there will be big-screen sports showing, karaoke nights and video game tournaments on 60in screens.

It is this that has prompted several objections from residents in Crookemoor and Broomhill, who say that the premises – once a popular wedding reception venue – should not be marketed as a student venue.

One objector told Sheffield Council: “The new licence application is changing the emphasis of the establishment from a restaurant that serves drinks, to a bar with live and recorded entertainment and dancing.

“The noise in this location travels across the lake and is amplified by the water and the bowl shape of the park.”

Other objections to the rebranded Dam House have been received on the grounds that it could lead to an increased amount of litter in the area; lead to an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour or affect wildlife and the landscape of Crookes Valley Park.

One neighbour said: “With the boating lake in close proximity to the establishment there are genuine fears that the mix of cheap alcohol and high spirits could well end in a serious incident.”

Another objector wrote to Sheffield Council: “While the new owner states on the application that the venue will be a family restaurant, all of the marketing material for the venue states it will be a student venue with very cheap drinks.

“This lack of integrity is concerning as it suggests that there is a lack of professionalism with regards to the venture, which could lead to further problems with how the venue is managed.”

One objector said: “The attempt to appeal to the student market with a variety of events and late-night drinking on the terrace will only exacerbate the problems we already have with students in the park and around the boating lake, creating excessive noise until the very early hours of the morning.”

A total of 20 letters of objection have been received in relation to the Dam House’s licensing application, including submissions from The Friends of Crookesmoor Parks, Harcourt Community Action and Bernard Little from Broomhill Green Party.

At a meeting of Sheffield Council’s licensing board next week, members will decide whether or not to grant the new application for the Dam House’s licence.

The bar was originally set to reopen on Friday, March 9, but the reopening has been postponed pending the decision of the board on Tuesday, April 3.

Manager James Travis said yesterday that he did not want to comment on the application until the outcome of that meeting.

However, in promotional flyers online, he has been quoted as saying: “It won’t be too upmarket – we’re going to be aiming more at students.”

The Dam House was bought by its new owners for £60,000 in November 2011.

The bidding started with no reserve because the the new owner had to pay off £35,000 in ground rent which was owed to the council.

Next Tuesday’s committee meeting begins at 10am.