Public activities of the Faculty bar ‘t Lagerhuysch (3mE) are temporarily cancelled as it does not have an alcohol permit. “And we were ready for an epic year.”
Faculty pub 't Lagerhuysch offers a deserted sight, but is still partly open. (Photo: Thijs van Reeuwijk)
‘t Lagerhuysch was due to reopen in February after renovation, but this is not going ahead. In a meeting with the Faculty, it transpired that the Faculty bar did not have a licence to sell alcoholic drinks.
The reopening would also mark the start of the new board of the foundation that manages the bar. Chair Dorus van Toor (Mechanical Engineering) is disappointed. “It is such a pity. We were ready for an epic year, but it’s turning out differently.”
Nobody knows how long the bar has been serving drinks without a licence, he says. “We assumed we fell under TU Delft’s licence. In the review of the covenant with the Faculty, it turned out that this was incorrect.” The result was that the ‘t Lagerhuysch had to close immediately.
Private parties are permitted
The bar is not entirely closed as private parties may still be held without a licence. “One of the exceptions is if an employer wishes to serve alcohol to employees,” says Van Toor. “You then do not need a licence if you meet five or so rules. Three are that the organisation pays for the drinks; it must be a group of invitees; and the event may not be advertised. This does not include the open Wednesday afternoon drinks, but a fraternity or committee may have a drink if they pay the bill jointly.”
‘Nobody will have to go through life without a drink’
Chantal Brokerhof, the Faculty Secretary (Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering) confirms the rules. “In the case of internal events that meet TU Delft’s alcohol policy, the bar should really be seen as a caterer. It is when guests pay for their drinks themselves that you need a licence.”
She too was surprised by the lack of alcohol licence. As the Faculty is the one to decide on all events that are held there, there are regular meetings with organisers, including the ‘t Lagerhuysch Board. But the organisers themselves make agreements about practical issues such as opening and closing times, the cleaning and so on, says Brokerhof. The Faculty does not run checks specifically on compliance with the alcohol laws.
Licence takes a long time
In the meantime, ‘t Lagerhuysch is applying for a licence. Brokerhof accompanied the student board in seeking information from facility management colleagues at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment who could tell them how to start the application procedure.
The process will take some time, says Chair Van Toor. “Anything you need to arrange with the Municipality takes time. We need to agree with the Faculty who is responsible for this, whose name will appear on the licence and so on. Hopefully it can be arranged before summer, but you never know with the Municipality.”
The Municipality’s website states that applications are dealt with within three months. If the ‘t Lagerhuysch wants a licence for the summer, the Board will have to submit an application soon.
More than just a place
In the meantime, what should students and staff members do? “Nobody will have to go through life without a drink,” laughs Van Toor. “We will see what is permitted without an alcohol licence. In the meantime we will use other faculty bars that are usually closed on Wednesdays.”
While the bar crawlers traverse the campus for their weekly drinks, the Board is trying to keep spirits up on Instagram. They encourage their followers by saying things like ‘While we are closed, we recommend showing other faculties how much fun the Lagerhuysche is’. And perhaps more important, ‘Why don’t you show that the ‘t Lagerhuysch is more than just a place. It’s a feeling.’
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