Licensing hearing for planned hotel and restaurants at Doncaster's Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Park bosses are set to appear before Doncaster Council’s licensing committee in applying for permission to sell alcohol in their expanded settings.

YWP, on Warning Tongue Lane, Old Cantley, currently holds three premises licences – one licence , granted in 2009, covers the restaurant and courtyard only, a second granted in 2015 covers the whole site, including the Crafty Badger retail store, and a third, granted in 2016, which covers the large event area.

A number of objections have been made by residents close to the park, but they have not been made public by the council.

Plans also show the indoor conference centre will be also used for sporting events and listed snooker, darts, martial arts and gymnastics as examples.

The proposed licence will mean there is no regulated entertainment that will take place in outside areas after 10.30pm.

The application also sets out live music which will be finished by 10.30pm outside and midnight inside the conference centre.

It is understood park bosses are awaiting the outcome of the licensing hearing before any development plans are laid out for any potential construction.

The park announced the expansion plan back in 2017, which was said to bring in about £50 million worth of investment and more than 300 extra jobs.

Bosses secured 150 acres of land adjacent to the current site and are developing the plans which they say has the potential to make it ‘one of the leading destinations in the UK’.

Hayley Oxley, council senior licensing practitioner, said: “It is recognised licensed premises are, quite often, businesses and places of employment.

“The licensing committee/sub-committee, subject to the general principles set out in the council’s statement of licensing policy and the overriding need to promote the four licensing objectives, will have regard to this outcome when making licensing decisions.

“The licensing objectives are: prevent crime and disorder; prevent public nuisance; promote public safety; and protect children from harm.”

Councillors will approve, amend or reject the licensing application via a virtual meeting on Monday, July 6.

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