Owner of former Cardiff restaurant granted permission to open wine bar despite residents concerns

THE owner of a former Cardiff restaurant has been granted permission to open a new wine bar in the city despite the concerns of residents.

Adam Pledger, who owned the now closed Park House Restaurant and Wine Bar in the city centre, applied to Cardiff Council to sell alcohol at a new ‘wine shop and cafe’ in Rhiwbina between the hours of 12pm and 10pm.

It is also proposed for the wine bar, which will be called Wine Republic, to open between the hours of 12pm and 10.30pm from Monday to Sunday on Heol y Deri.

Park House Restaurant and Wine Bar was closed in March 2023.

One unnamed resident raised an objection to application, stating that Heol y Deri is already saturated with shops and bars and that allowing Wine Republic to open could lead to an increase in traffic, littering and noise nuisance.

The resident opposed the proposed opening hours and called the premises’ dispersal time “unreasonable”.

They said: “The commercial street, a small and an already crowded village street, cannot absorb more alcohol licence premises.

“Furthermore, it is not only a small commercial street, it is, and remains, predominantly a residential area.”

The most recent reviews for Park House posted on TripAdvisor show that a number of angry customers claimed to have turned up to the premises after booking a table, but found it to be closed.

WalesOnline reported in April 2023 that the business said it was working on payment plans for all outstanding suppliers and staff that are still owed monies.

Representing Wine Republic UK Ltd. at the licensing meeting on August 30, Matthew Phipps of law firm TLT LLP said there were no objections from South Wales Police following a pre-application consultation.

He described the proposed premises as a “modest shop with modest hours” which will have “comprehensive conditions” in place.

Among the conditions is a pledge that there will be no more than 50 customers on the premises at any one time during events like wine tasting.

Outside areas will also be monitored and supervised by management staff, when occupied, during the hours that the premises is open.

In his closing remarks, Mr Phipps said: “It is a good application. It is modest, sensible, it is appropriately conditioned.”