A Merseyside pub has been allowed to play music until 10pm, despite local concerns about violence and public urination from its patrons.
Cheshire Cheese, in Wallasey Village, can only play music till 7pm currently due to noise restrictions, but it won the right to extend that permission until 10pm on the condition that it used a noise limiting device.
Speaking for locals against the move, at Wirral Council’s planning committee, Heather Risard said: “This application does little to prevent fights, public urination and irresponsible and illegal parking by patrons.
The applicant said abandoning live outdoors music is hitting the pub in the pocket
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“It is also a noise nuisance.
“Neighbours have suffered much stress and anxiety preventing us from enjoying the amenity of our own homes.
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“Barbecue celebrations have been cancelled. To sit outside in one’s garden has become unbearable.”
However, a representative of the pub’s contractor, said: “The noise limiter will prevent the [noise pollution]. I have spoken to the tenant of the pub and he is working with planning and environmental health to reduce these issues as much as he can.
“We have come up with new proposals, including acoustic fabric [to be attached to awning outside the pub, preventing noise pollution in the summer months].”
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The applicant was also keen to point out that only background music will be played. A council officer defined this as music one can talk over.
This eliminates the prospect of live outdoor music, which has been the source of much local anger towards the pub.
The outdoor drinking area. Popular with patrons of the pub in the summer months
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The applicant added: “I understand the concerns of people living in the area, but the business needs to keep going.
“It is suffering with live music events taken out, but we want to reach a compromise where the pub can keep running and the neighbours are happy.”
Councillors were keen to query how effective the noise limiting technology would be.
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Leader of the Tories in Wirral Council, Cllr Ian Lewis, asked if there was any possibility that the pub’s owners could override the technology, to which a council officer replied that they could not.
If the noise level goes above a predetermined measure, the music will simply cut-out.
However, Labour councillor Steve Foulkes stressed the importance of the role pub’s play in the local community and the need to keep them going.
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He said that given assurances on the question of noise from council officers, he would support the application.
Ultimately, the planning committee voted in favour of the application by 12 votes to 2.
All voted in favour apart from two Conservative councillors, Cllr Ian Lewis and Cllr Lesley Rennie.
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New dwellings at Wirral Business Park, Upton , were also approved. 127 homes will now be built on the former industrial site.
The demolition of two large homes to make way for seven smaller ones was approved at 33-35 Whitehouse Lane, Barnston.
