‘Unreasonable’ beer garden music bid from a red-painted Stoke-on-Trent pub
The request by a bar in Stoke-on-Trent to play recorded and live music in the beer garden has angered the locals, who believe it will create a “noise nuisance.” Jolly Potters in Hartshill has filed an application with the city council to change the terms of its premises licence. In order to serve breakfast every day at 8 a.m., Star Pubs Trading Limited would like to expand the pub’s hours of operation. The boozer also suggested selling alcohol from an outside bar servery and hosting live and recorded music outside every day from opening until 10 p.m.
Some residents and ward councillor Shaun Pender have not been happy with this aspect. Residents have also now rejected the applicant’s compromise proposal to shorten the outdoor music’s hours so that it concludes at 8 p.m. To review the application, the city council’s licensing subcommittee will now convene this morning. It comes after the local government recently threatened to pursue planning enforcement action if a disagreement over the pub’s colour could not be settled.
Jolly Potters has been offered the choice of submitting a retroactive planning application or repainting the building’s exterior. The pub’s location within the Hartshill conservation area has created a problem. A petition signed by thousands of people is urging the council to permit Jolly Potters to maintain the poppy red design on the front door and window frames. The Stoke-on-Trent crest and a Stoke City mural are also displayed on the venue’s walls.
Residents and the ward councillor are represented in the report submitted to the city council’s licensing subcommittee. According to Cllr. Pender, “The quality of life for local residents would be severely harmed if this application were approved. Specifically, residents would be unable to enjoy their back gardens because of noise nuisances caused by live or recorded music being played in outdoor spaces. Yes, this was true in the past, which is why the local government implemented the current circumstances.
“The plan to build an outdoor serving area would also worsen the quality of life for locals by increasing noise pollution in the region. Since the pub’s interior and exterior décor make it obvious that the local football community is its target market, it stands to reason that allowing outdoor activities would result in a noisy atmosphere.
“Further, the additional footfall leading from any ‘outdoor offer’ would cause even more disruption and anxiety to residents in the Vicarage Road vicinity.” Adrian Steele, a resident, commented, “The application for live and/or recorded music to be allowed to be played in the outdoor beer garden during extended hours of business, potentially between 8am and 10pm is entirely unreasonable.” According to the report, Stephen Lewis, the environmental health officer for the council, stated that while “the premises had Temporary Event Notices (TENs) with little complaints,” the pub ought to think about cutting back on the suggested hours for outdoor entertainment because of the residents’ worries.
George Domleo of Flint Bishop Solicitors, who is representing the applicant, responded by suggesting that live and recorded music be performed outside every day from opening until 8 p.m., with alcohol being sold from the outdoor bar servery until 10 p.m. But this was also turned down. “I’m afraid the proposed amendments are not acceptable to me as the ward councillor,” stated Cllr Pender.
“Considering that the new licence holder has submitted a number of TEN’s recently, which include the playing of outside live music and receiving one noise complaint from a local resident, the main complaint arose because the complainant was unaware that there was an event being held that evening,” says Stephen Lewis, the council’s environmental health officer, who recommends that a reduction in the proposed hours for outdoor music be taken into consideration.
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