A seafront café is at risk of losing its drinks licence after a councillor complained that it was being run like an Ibiza-style night club.

Others have also complained about the noise coming from the Whitecliffs Café, in Marine Drive, Saltdean, prompting a review of the licence by Brighton and Hove City Council.

The owner, artist Julie-Anne Gilburt, 51, also known as Julie-Anne Honeysett, said: “I am tackling longstanding issues, changing the nature of the business and seeking to ensure we comply with all legal requirements.”

But a licensing panel, made up of three councillors, is due to hold a review hearing on Friday and decide whether to take any action.

A report to the panel said that it could amend, suspend or revoke the licence or order the business to change the person in charge, known as the designated premises supervisor (DPS).

Ms Gilburt only recently became the DPS although she said that she bought the business in 2018.

The report said: “The grounds for the review relate to the following licensing objectives – the prevention of public nuisance (and) the protection of children from harm.”

It also said: “Noise emanating from within licensed premises should not normally be audible outside.”

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Brighton and Hove Independent councillors Bridget Fishleigh and Mark Earthey, who represent Rottingdean and West Saltdean, asked the council to review the licence as a result of complaints.

Councillor Fishleigh said that the venue applied to extend its opening hours beyond 10pm in 2018 so that it could host more wedding receptions and functions.

Currently, the café can sell alcohol from Monday to Thursday from noon to 1am and from Friday to Sunday from noon to 3am.

Conditions attached to the licence allow the sale of alcohol only when the DPS is on the premises – and sales should be made only by someone holding a personal licence.

Councillor Fishleigh quoted the extended hours application: “The 3am finish on Fridays to Sundays is to accommodate private functions, parties, wedding receptions, etc.

“We would not anticipate the venue being open to the general public until this time unless a specific event has been organised.”

She said: “The Whitecliffs has now morphed into a venue which hosts music nights arranged internally by an events manager – and by outside organisations.

“For these events, music is not secondary to food and is resulting in public nuisance on a regular basis – loud music and noise made by people when they leave the Whitecliffs.”

Environmental health officers said that they had made two visits and given out three “noise diaries” although these had not been returned.

If the premises is permitted to keep its licence, a request was made that licence conditions should require all windows and doors to be kept shut after 11pm.

Councillor Earthey, who has lived in Saltdean for more than 20 years, said: “I believe that over the past two to three years the premises has evolved a business model which is in breach of its licence conditions.

“It is more like an Ibiza-style club than a café that hosts a few evening events for local clientele.

“Enough is enough! I maintain that the premises’ current business model constitutes a public nuisance and thus breaches its licence conditions.”

Ms Gilburt said that although she bought the business in 2018, she only took control on Thursday 3 October, two weeks before the request for a review was lodged.

She has asked to amend the licensed hours so that from Sunday to Thursday they run from noon 11pm and on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 12.30am.

She said that since taking over the business she had removed night club-style sound and lighting systems, cancelled events and focused on rebalancing the business towards food. And she had appointed an independent environmental health officer to advise on noise.

Ms Gilburt said: “This list is not exhaustive but it can be seen that I am tackling longstanding issues, changing the nature of the business and seeking to ensure we comply with all legal requirements.

“I have also invited feedback on social media as to how we could improve what we do and what sort of offering people would like to see.

“We received over 140 comments, the vast majority of which were supportive, positive and constructive.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the majority of these actions were instigated prior to the review being lodged.”

The licensing panel hearing is due to start at 10am on Friday.