Neighbors Fear New Wine Bar Will Increase Graveyard Sex

Residents in the English town of Ware, Hertfordshire, descended upon a local meeting to voice their very particular concerns over anti-social behavior increasing due to the opening of a new wine bar.

A recent application to the East Herts District Council looks to convert the old Town Hall in the center of Ware into an "up-market wine shop and bar," according to the Hertfordshire Mercury. Residents urged the council to reject the proposed wine bar, which would replace the Clifford Burr bridal shop in the West Street building.

Residents are specifically concerned about sexual deviancy and public urination increasing in the area. Several longtime neighbors complained about the wine bar proposal to the council at the Wednesday meeting. Concerns about late-night noise levels and partying around the small premises were addressed by one attendee who said she had witnessed firsthand how other venues in the area had negative effects from their proximity to bars.

The resident listed Jacoby's, The Lodge and Punch House as several other alcohol-serving establishments that have disrupted people's lives.

“In the graveyard I’ve seen people having sex, we’ve had people weeing in our doorway, we’ve seen ladies in the alleyway opposite squat weeing, falling over and rolling in their wee — and that’s just with the current bars that are there," the woman told the council Wednesday, according to the Hertfordshire Mercury.

“If more are introduced, especially an establishment so big that could cater for so many more customers, we are really concerned that that will adversely impact what is happening outside," she added.

The resident, who requested to remain anonymous fearing retribution from other neighbors, said the applicants for the wine bar are being "intentionally underhanded" by not outlining specific plans for the wine bar. She fears it could ultimately turn into a nightclub.

The local town council members agreed with the residents' concerns, with district councilor Stephen Reed saying that people from Enfield -- a north London borough 15 miles away -- could become attracted to the town by the opening of the wine bar.

“Ware had a lot of problems with the nightclub down in Amwell End when it was Becketts.

“The capacity of Rankin House is huge — if that’s going to be a wine bar, the amount of people in there, coming out at 1am in the morning, is just going to draw people from Enfield, all over, coming into Ware. You’re opening a can of worms.”

The council came to a nearly unanimous agreement that local police no longer had the capacity to contain a raucous crowd from Enfield or any other neighboring town. District Councilor Mark Pope voiced his concern that "alcohol-led premises" would increase crime and promote patrons spilling out into Tudor Square.