THE first licensed function to be held at the controversial Hotel Bon Port marquee passed off peacefully on Friday evening. Security personnel controlled traffic in the narrow lanes leading up to the hotel to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend’s chaos.

A police officer and deputy Home minister and district deputy Francis Quin watched the operation.

‘I’m here to see fair play,’ said Deputy Quin, who was invited by residents and hotel manager Mark Galins to negotiate between the two parties.

‘I thought the ‘traffic’ convoy system worked well, There were no problems on the road, but all in all, from the hotel’s point of view, it was a quite an expensive exercise,’ said the deputy.

The event – a charity ball in aid of Acorn House – was the only one of four applications made by the hotel last week which had a liquor licence granted by the Royal Court.

The court told the hotel to reapply for the others and that the traffic situation at Friday’s event would influence its decision.

The court was told that, at an open day to mark the launch of the marquee on Saturday 3 June, neighbours had obstructed the flow of traffic in the lanes leading up to it.

Police stopped two people for highway-related offences and it later emerged that some had put out bins in the lane, blocking it.

It also emerged that an officer allegedly ordered one landowner to remove a wooden beam blocking the entrance to a building site on the day of the open day so that traffic could pass.

Deputy Quin said the landowner had been within his rights to refuse. He added that farmers were right to have blocked the gateways to their fields, some of which are laden with growing potatoes, so that traffic could not use the field to turn

On the night of the ball, driveways and the gateways to fields were again blocked using chains, rope and farm equipment.

‘It is their land and it is not a problem,’ said Deputy Quin.

‘As long as they stay on their land, they have every right to do that.’

A hotel neighbour, speaking after the ball, said it had passed off relatively peacefully. He said the traffic strategy had worked, but added that it was successful only because it relied on residents not wanting to use the lanes.

‘As soon as they do, all chaos will ensue,’ he said.

He said that the traffic issue detracted from the main concern of residents in the area – the expansion of the hotel.

Another resident speaking on the night of the ball said that the previous weekend’s congestion was not the hotel’s fault and could have been avoided had landowners removed the barriers to their properties.

Mr Galins, the hotel’s co-owner, said that the charity event had gone swimmingly and said it would reflect well on the hotel when it applied to the licensing court on Thursday.

‘We are sure that the police will give us a glowing report from last night,’ he said Mr Galins.

The hotel was also required to control noise from the marquee.

Mr Galins said he had received no complaints from neighbours and that the event demonstrated that the hotel was able to co-exist with them.

He said neighbours were beginning to realise that the marquee was not as bad as they might have feared and added that the hotel was there to stay.