JCRs not consulted over licensing changes
Common Rooms across Oxford have expressed concern after colleges failed to consult them over applications for new licenses. Colleges including Worcester, Keble and Brasenose did not discuss the new laws with JCRs, meaning that students have not had an input into whether their college bar should open later. Keble students have been told that their bar will continue to be closed to students after 11pm during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.
However, during the vacation it will stay open as late as 2am every day, to allow college conference guests to take advantage of the unusually long hours.
One student, who preferred not to be named, said she felt that Keble’s decision to allow later vacational use of the bar for non-members of the college was “sadly typical of their attitude towards student use of the facilities in general - we are not allowed to remain in college at all in the vac, even for academic reasons, because of the college’s business interests. “Although there are over 600 rooms on site, they always insist that all of them are booked for conferences.
College authorities refused to comment on the reasons for the discrepancy in the opening hours. The JCR committee was not warned of the coming changes before the proposals had been submitted to the council and a planning notice placed on Keble’s front gate, said JCR President Eve Bugler. A member of the Worcester JCR committee also claimed they had not been consulted: “The bar is predominately used by JCR members, so we should have a say if it becomes an issue that needs changing.
It does feel like the JCR is being bypassed and disregarded.” A University spokesperson said that they would not be taking up a cross-college policy to control the changes. “It is up to individual colleges to make their own decisions.” The new legislation has forced Oxford college bars to draw up legal opening hours with the city council for the fi rst time. They will now be answerable to the police if they fail to keep to their designated times.
27th Oct 2005