Pub's licence changes granted
A public house will be able to serve alcohol later – but must close its outside balcony at 10pm in a bid to cut noise pollution.
Jaspers Bar and Bistro in Victoria Road, Shifnal, applied to Shropshire Council to vary the times it can serve alcohol, starting an hour later at midday and ending an hour later at midnight.
A panel of Shropshire Council’s Licensing Act Sub-Committee granted the licence, but told the bar it must close its balcony at 10pm – an hour earlier than hoped.
It comes after three residents attended the hearing to voice concerns about the amount of noise that comes from the bar.
One, Darren Owen, told the panel: “Please help us. This can’t carry on, someone has got to help us.”
His son Sam added: “I just want to do my homework in my bedroom in peace. I can’t concentrate and I can’t even open a window in warm weather.”
But Leo Charalambides, a solicitor speaking on behalf of the pub’s landlord Aled Rees, said the pub was doing nothing wrong.
He added: “This is a public house operating within its licence. It is a business that is serving the community and just a narrow portion of the public don’t appreciate that.
“It is serving the community and has done nothing wrong. Much like the noise of nearby trains, a public house is part of the soundscape of this area.”
Ross O’Neill, Shropshire Council public protection officer, said in the report to the committee: “Aled Rees has made an application for a variation of the premises licence.
“Mr Rees is the premises licence holder. Jaspers Bar and Bistro has had its current premises licence since October 2005.
“The premises is in a mixed use area, surrounded by residential and commercial premises.
“At the rear of the premises there is a large car park which backs onto a viaduct on the other side of which are residential properties.
“The applicant seeks the variation primarily in order to address the issue of noise emanating from the balcony and ground floor external areas of the premises, which have been the subject of a number of noise complaints from nearby residential premises.”
The panel chaired by Councillor Peter Adams, agreed to the changes and introduced the balcony measure. The pub must also adhere to a Challenge 25 policy.
Story by Local Democracy Reporter Andrew Morris
