The pub giant behind nightclub and restaurant The Manor House in Tunbridge Wells has applied to extend its outdoor lounge area and external front area. Marston’s Plc has lodged its request to vary its licence with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
The venue, which had until 2023 been Pitcher and Piano, is in the heart of the town centre, on Church Road. Marston’s wants to extend the rear lounge area by using its car parking spaces.
In the controversial application, it also wants to extend the front outdoor area to include the forecourt, taking it up to the public pavement. It also wants to remove conditions about the front area having to close at 11pm. It has sparked objections, including from the council’s environmental health team.
What Marston’s wants to change
- Extend the outdoor lounge area to incorporate the car parking spaces, and up to the public footpath
- Extend the front outdoor area to include the forecourt
- To remove condition that the front outdoor area must close at 11pm
- Have a food and drink point in the extended outdoor lounge area
- To add the new forecourt area stop licensable activities and be cleared of labels and chairs by 10pm
The Manor House in Tunbridge Wells – new licensable area applied for along with the food and drink distribution location, area edged in blue on the forecourt area
(Image: Marston’s Plc)
A 28-day consultation was held, which ended on December 2. There were three objections to the application.
The application will be decided in public, as is usual, by the council’s licensing committee on Wednesday, January 15, meeting starts at 10.30am. Councillors will be able to grant the application, subject to conditions; reject the whole application, or part of the application.
The council’s environmental protection team was one of those three objectors, saying: “The applicant proposes two changes. To change the layout of the premises so as to include an additional external area to the front of the premises which would incorporate the current car parking spaces and extend the space up to the public footpath.”
Front external area ‘up to current opening times’
“Additionally, to remove condition 8 at Annex 4 which states the external area to the front of the premises will close to members of the public at 11pm.This means that the applicant is proposing to use a new external area to the front of the premises up to the current opening times: Thursday 11am to 4am; Friday 11am to 4am; Saturday 10am to 4am; Sunday 11am to 2am; Monday to Wednesday 11am to 3am.
“This site is mixed residential with some commercial and has a low background noise level beyond 11pm making this location unsuitable for external noise beyond 11pm. Due to the very close proximity of a number of residential properties to the above site and the changes requested I believe that the proposed changes are likely to give rise to an unreasonable and likely noise disturbance.”
In a second submission from the team, an excerpt reads: “The Environmental Protection Team require all beer gardens and external spaces in the town centre to close at or before 11pm (this may be earlier when residents are adjacent), this is to ensure residents relaxation and sleep is not disturbed by late night unnecessary and unwanted noise.”
The Manor House in Tunbridge Wells – current licensable areas
(Image: Marston’s Plc)
One from a resident of Belvedere Terrace in Church Road. They said: “Currently the outside space already available and in use under the current licence regularly causes disturbance and noise nuisance to us and the Terrace residents -particularly the end of the Terrace nearest to The Manor House.
“It is worse during the summer months when windows are opened and at the weekends. It is usually particularly bad when The Manor House has special events nights with the music and clientele being more audible until the late early hours. The noise disturbance is already a problem and complaints have already been lodged. Varying the current licence to allow additional seating at the front of the building will add to the noise disturbance issue at the front of the building.”
Another person, said: “We are concerned that the proposed changes will lead to anti social noise levels, behaviour and litter. Whilst there is currently a small outside area to the front, this change would lead to a very substantial increase in its size. The regular passage of people to and fro into and out of the building from the significantly expanded outside area could also result in excessive noise from the loud music internally.”
Where can I see the application to vary licence application?
You can see all the papers related to this application, by looking at the agenda item 3, via this link.