Cambridgeshire pub's licence called into question after noise row
Nigel Marsh, licensee of the Georges, said he had to cancel live music at the pub ahead of the licence review hearing on Thursday (16), losing him around £4,000 in business.
He said: "We’ve created a live music venue in this small market town. Gigs make up for about 70% of our income. If we were to lose this, we would have to change the direction of our business completely.
"It seems there is very little protection for landlords with licensing, and there is no option to claim costs back."
Noise complaints
On behalf of residents close to the pub on the high street, councillor Kit Owen asked Fenland District Council to review the premises licence. Residents have complained about noise coming from the pub and fighting outside.
Marsh said there is an "unrealistic expectation" about the noise generated at the pub. However the pub has received a lot of community backing, with more than 350 people signing an online petition on the Georges’ website to say the pub is a “well-managed venue acting within the initiatives of the Licensing Act”.
'Councillors do not understand'
Marsh said: "The complaint includes a charity rock jam on a Saturday afternoon, a Children in Need fire walk on a Sunday evening and a Friday night when the town’s Christmas lights were turned on.
"We have had a problem with noise and it comes in the main from drums. Councillors do not understand there is no volume switch on a set of drums. We have employed an acoustic engineer to recommend how to absorb the bass of the drums to limit it escaping from the building, however local traffic is a higher sound recording than the sound of the drum.
"Extra glass protection was recommended as a solution by me and it was implemented. I also removed the use of the front door, giving access only through the side door. This helps to limit the sound escape as its some way from the source of music."
