A NEW bar with a concept 'not seen before' in Basingstoke could be opening in the town.

Kaine Macauley has applied to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council asking for permission to change the use of an empty unit at the Top of Town to a bar with a vape centre.

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The businessman, who is a dog trainer and has previously worked in sales and distribution, is hoping to offer shisha pipes in the new venue which will combine both flavoured smoke and alcohol, operated electronically.

Kaine said: “We will have indoor smoking pipes all through electronic devices, which no one has ever done before. They are all capable of having alcohol so give you a stronger effect. It is shisha but it’s not the same as normal shisha.”

He said all the pipes are custom made, adding: “We are trying to create a more relaxed ambience for older and younger generations. There’s nothing like this that’s been done before, Basingstoke is going to be the first.”

Kaine hopes that the new bar, part of his company Tropical Smoke Ltd, will open within a month if the application is approved by the borough council.

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He hopes to offer a space for people to socialise and somewhere “chilled and relaxed for everyone to come together”.

The ground floor bar, in Winchester Street, will open from 12pm to 11pm, and also offer snacks such as nuts and crisps.

“We’re waiting for our licence and waiting for the council to approve our premises licence so as soon as that’s done, we will open,” said Kaine.

Currently, there are no legal restrictions on vaping in public areas as electronic smoking and vaping is not subjected to the same laws as traditional cigarettes.

However, many pubs and bars have implemented their own vaping bans, including J D Wetherspoons which does not permit the use of electronic cigarettes or vaporisers outside of designated smoking areas.