A pub in Cowes is asking to extend the hours music can play at night — but one local resident says the music is so loud they cannot sleep.
Due to be determined at a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council’s Licensing sub-committee meeting on 14th June, the Vectis Tavern on Cowes High Street, near the Red Jet Terminal, is applying to play music until 1.30am most nights.
Late licence
Currently, the establishment is permitted to play music, or have live performances, until 12am Monday to Saturday, 11pm on Sundays and 1am on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.
The Tavern, however, is allowed to stay open until 2.30am on Monday to Saturdays and 12.30am on Sundays.
Now to ‘allow flexibility within the already existent opening times’, music could be played at the tavern until 1.30am Monday to Saturday and 2am on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.
Compliant with their license
In their application, the Vectis Tavern say they have always taken a hard-line approach to ensure they are compliant with their license and proactive in upholding their responsibilities but will continue to be vigilant.
The council’s environmental health officer said they were not opposed to the idea of the licence variation but had reservations about its impact on neighbouring residents.
Noise levels would not increase
A noise management plan submitted by the Tavern, however, allayed fears and officers were happy with plans.
In the plan, the Tavern said it did not intend to increase noise levels and would not allow the changes to impact the environment around it.
Local objection
A nearby resident, however, objected to the licence variation stating the music is so loud they cannot sleep. They also said large groups of people outside, late at night, display anti-social behaviour.
In response to the objection, the Tavern said they cannot be held responsible for the noise of groups leaving other establishments on the High Street, but they do have a strict noise and crowd dispersal policy in place.
High Street is not a quiet residential location
They said it is not their intention to play music every night ‘until all hours of the morning’ but “the High Street is in the heart of the town and therefore does not lend itself to a quiet residential location, by default.”
The council’s licensing department are looking on the application favourably, saying conditions attached to the existing licence already place a duty on the Tavern to comply to multiple noise control condition and actions in the noise management plan ‘comprehensively’ address potential sources of noise breakout.
The decision, however, will ultimately be made by the sub-committee.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
