6 days ago
Lake District pub can serve alcohol until 2am despite residents' noise concerns
A LAKE District pub can serve alcohol until 2am, despite residents' concerns over noise from the venue, after the proposed variations to its licence were approved this week.
Members of Cumberland Council's licensing sub-committee met at Allerdale House in Workington on Monday (June 2) to consider the application.
Wolverhampton-based Marston's submitted the licensing application to make the changes at Oddfellows Arms in Main Street, Keswick.
The proposed changes included:
The sale of alcohol 2am with the opening hours running until 2.30am;
To match permitted live music hours with sale of alcohol;
The playing of recorded music and late-night refreshment within current licensed areas to be matched with the sale of alcohol.
Speaking after the evidence had been considered committee chairman, councillor John Mallinson (Houghton and Irthington, Conservative), told representatives from Marston's they had considered it very carefully and added: 'And we have decided to grant your application for the following reasons.
'We felt that your presentation was well thought out, well presented, and thoroughly professional.
'We found the designated premises supervisor (DPS) to be experienced and a competent individual who we have confidence in this venture.
'The noise concerns that were raised as an issue, we find that the existing conditions for noise control would appear to be sufficient and working well, and therefore, we grant your application as applied for.'
During the meeting Deborah Fletcher, a council specialist in licensing and compliance, told members that an additional condition relating to a risk assessment on whether to deploy security on Friday and Saturday evenings had been agreed.
Relating to the separate condition the report states: 'The DPS will complete a risk assessment to deploy security on Friday and Saturday evenings or when there is a specific event in the town that would impact the expected customer base, for example, bank holiday weekends, annual events or events that would increase footfall within the town and nighttime economy.
'This risk assessment should be retained on site and available for review by responsible authorities on request.'
A Marston's spokesman told members that the permitted hours were currently 10am to 1.30am and the extra time would allow at a 'staggered' dispersal of customers.
He said that Marston's was a national pub operator and the DPS also ran two other establishments in the Lake District town – The Twa Dogs and The George – and he had more than 22 years of experience in the industry.
Members were told that there were no complaints from neither the police nor environmental health and the residents who had complained had not bothered to turn up for the hearing.
