An online community group, fed up with the recent negativity surrounding the closure of the Stones Cross pub, in Midsomer Norton, are now battling to save the Wunderbar from the same fate. The subject has sparked a fierce debate within the town, with many speaking out for the twenty-year-old cellar bar venue which has historically encouraged young and upcoming bands to perform.
Following a six-month undercover operation by local police, the Stones Cross has now been closed pending a licence review on 20th May by B&NES Council's Licensing Committee. Over the past twelve months, over sixty intelligence reports relating to the Stones Cross had been received and up until 8th March, it is reported there had been many drug deals with undercover officers, involving Class A, B and C drugs and two incidents of handling stolen goods. It has led to many arrests locally and a feeling of unease surrounding Midsomer Norton's nightlife.
The Wunderbar was the other venue in which officers managed to purchase drugs on a smaller scale and the licence holders have openly spoken out about their shock at the findings. At the initial licensing review held on 23rd April, it was agreed the venue could remain open, but under a number of conditions. A final decision on its licence is also due on 20th May.
As of Monday evening this week, 1,450 have signed up to the 'Help Save the Wunderbar' Facebook page, which links visitors to a website that tells them how they can support a positive outcome for the bar's licensing review.
A spokesperson for the group said: "The Wunderbar is a freehold venue with a long legacy of encouraging creativity in and providing entertainment to community members of a wide range of ages. Midsomer Norton has a very strong community and a large part of it has not had a combined voice until now. There are many positive things to shout about in this town; it is full of extremely talented and passionate people who care massively about its reputation and its future and this group aims to bring them together and make sure they are represented. Trying to save the Wunderbar is the first step towards achieving this.
"We know there are significant development plans underway for the town centre and we welcome any positive change, but this must not be at the expense of community interests. The Wunderbar has played an important role at the heart of the community for a long time and we want it to stay there.
"It's very sad that the actions of a handful of people should be used to have a negative impact on the future of a significant number of the rest of the local population."
Linda Dunford, from Midsomer Norton Town Council, said: "It is important not to lose sight of the huge reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour that we, as a community, have achieved over the last eighteen months. In the last two months alone, there has been a reduction in crime by 30% and antisocial behaviour by 59%. This shows that Midsomer Norton is safer than ever before."
Recent events have made local people more determined that the future of the town's nightlife is a positive one. The local Pubwatch Scheme has also reported that since the arrests and closure of the Stones Cross, the remainder of the venues not already signed up in the town have now done so. A spokesperson for the scheme said: "Since Pubwatch started in 2005, we have seen a huge reduction in issues relating to antisocial behaviour in our area, thanks to the efforts of the venues and police, incidents are few and far between as we continue to make this a lively, fun and safe place to enjoy a wide selection of entertainment. The key to the success of the Pubwatch Scheme is the zero tolerance to drugs and anti-social behaviour."
Speaking to The Journal, Inspector Shirley Eden commented on the recent events and the way forward for the town. "Midsomer Norton is a great place to go, with a diverse selection of bars and pubs to choose from. We identified a problem that originated in a particular area (Stones Cross) and proactively went about gathering evidence in order to ensure we could deal effectively with the crime that generated from that premises.
"As part of that investigation, unfortunately, some of the criminal activity spilled over into other areas of Midsomer Norton. Due to the nature of these offences, we were duty bound to recommend a review of the premises licence on both the Stones Cross and the Wunderbar. Despite this, I would say that there were no other premises that were part of our investigation and it is apparent that the majority of premises in Midsomer Norton are very well managed.
"I am unable to comment on the possibility of either premises losing their licence on a permanent basis, as this is a decision for the Licensing Committee, but what I would say is that staff from the Wunderbar are liaising with us to ensure that no further offences take place in the future. I am aware it is a venue for local musicians and would hope that we can work together to keep it as such."