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Fringe Club goes on the wagon as it struggles to renew its liquor licence

The Fringe Club's application to renew its liquor licence has been turned down because it has been unable to get government departments to sign off on renovation work.

Police gave the club a verbal warning last week for serving alcohol with an expired licence, and now only soft drinks are being served at the club in Lower Albert Road in Central.

Its liquor licence ran out in May, according to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

Club director Benny Chia Chun-heng said the licence had not been renewed because there had been delays in securing agreement from various government departments on fulfilling safety and building requirements.

'We are resubmitting it so we can have our licence. I hope that it will be in a few days.

'We stopped serving alcohol for a few days. It's because of safety regulations, including access and electricity supply. There are a few things involved.'

The Fringe Club set up in the old Dairy Farm cold storage warehouse on Lower Albert Road in December 1983, transforming the run-down building into a vibrant arts centre, theatre and bar.

The club needs approval from the Home Affairs Department, the Antiquities and Monuments Office and the Government Property Agency for renovations to the Grade 2-listed building.

Mr Chia said: 'Because this is a heritage building, there are a number of parties involved to getting approval to do something. We have to keep the building pretty much the way it is. If we put a water tank on top of the roof, it would change the loading area and all that. It is quite complicated.'

Mr Chia said the licence could be issued once the various parties agreed on what renovation work needed doing and the licensing board was made aware that the work was in progress.

Mr Chia is optimistic the lack of a liquor licence will not affect business too badly and hopes his customers will try out new non-alcoholic cocktails, fruit juices and flavoured teas. 'I think it's healthy to give the liver a rest,' he said.

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