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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Pub noise and village nuisances

59 replies

lotusbell · 08/08/2020 11:21

I posted this in Crime hoping to get some official or legal advice on whether this is an anti social issue but thought I'd post here too.
I live on a relatively busy road through the centre of a large village. Crossroads type set up and I'm near the junction. I live in a row of terraces and there is a pub opposite.
It has always been noisy - I lived on the pub side years ago and it was nowhere near as noisy as it is now. Landlord took over and made it into a live music venue. Pub has no outdoor area but opens onto the pavement outside which is raised from the road and has picnic benches outside.
Since pubs have reopened it is doing booming business which is fair enough. However, the noise levels are ridiculous, obviously exaccerbated by the nice weather.
Clientele is very rowdy and in the past I've often leant out of the window and shouted at people to shut up. Since pubs reopened, there have been large groups of youths drinking, shouting etc and at the moment, it's not always restricted to the weekend.
At midnight, landlord let's the last few inside and shuts the front door so it quietens a bit but often pumping music inside. Closes at 1am.
My son and stepdaughter (when visiting) sleep in the front, our room is in the back but we still need to keep the window shut as the sound really carries. I often sleep in the front as OH is a heavy snorer so know exactly how loud it is.

In addition to this, this road has seen an increase in traffic with mopeds, scooters, bikes with loud exhausts and cars driving by and beeping horns loudly, especially at the people outside the pub - this can be eay morning midday and in the night.
My next door neighbour rang the landlord last week ask him to do something about the noise which he said he would. He makes no effort to ask his customers to be respectful of the fact it is a residential area - houses at the back, side and opposite.
I rang him last night just after 11 and asked him to tell them to quieten down which he did but they paid little attention. Said youths then proceeded to hang around on the street til gone 1am, not drinking but arguing, fighting and generally being noisy.
I.am dreading tonight as it will probably be the same. Saw neighbour this morning and told her. They sleep at the back but are forced up to bed quite early to avoid the noise at the front and she is just as fed up as I am and is going to ring again.
What can we do about this? Someone in my local Facegroup page has encouraged people to report as antisocial behaviour but this is more for the speeding and loud cars and bikes which the whole village is suffering from.
I think landlord needs to be more proactive about what is going on outside his pub - he comes out to collect empties but is otherwise inside and obviously oblivious to the noise outside unless pointed out to him. Am tempted to just ring the pub every time until he gets fed up of me. Is it not part of your licensing terms to be aware of and be able to manage what goes on with your customers inside and outside the pub? Should there be no noise after 11pm, or is it later at the weekend?

I'm really tired today, please just useful advice, I don't need any "you chose to live opposite a pub' type comments.

OP posts:
SeaToSki · 08/08/2020 11:29

Can you report to the council or a non emergency police line. It sounds very antisocial

HeronLanyon · 08/08/2020 11:32

So sorry. This is stressful. I love surrounded by pubs and restaurants - central London.
Our local authority issues ‘tables and chairs licences’ which can be accessed online (planning) and all of which have conditions. Eg restaurants who are not allowed to use tables after 10pm or before 12.00.

Pub which is not allowed to let customer have drinks outside (front pavements) after 10pm ( and they have signs on windows to remind everyone).

So it’s pretty regulated here. Right now with places struggling to survive we (neighbours) are generally understanding of a relaxation - eg tables outside of demarcated areas because of distancing and to some extent more tables etc.

Surely your pub will have a licence with conditions. See what they are. If it were me I’d contact your local authority now rather than the brewery (who will be the ‘landlord’ unless they are an indépendant).

Good luck. There has to be give and take particularly at the moment but this doesn’t sound good.

maddening · 08/08/2020 11:33

Seek an amendment to the pubs license or a license review?

msbevvy · 08/08/2020 11:38

Is it a Free House? If not, it might be worth contacting the brewery.

LakieLady · 08/08/2020 11:39

Pubs are noisy, which is why I'd never live near one (although I love an evening in a busy, buzzing pub).

I'd report it to the council as noise nuisance, and you could raise an objection to their music licence when it's next up for renewal. If other residents feel the same, you may be able to prevent it being renewed (this happened to a pub in my town). There's also a pub in a residential area not far from me that controls noise nuisance by closing the pub garden at 10 pm every night and bringing the drinkers indoors for the last hour.

However, you would also have to live with the possibility that the pub may close if it is unable to trade at current levels. Rural pubs struggle to survive just on local custom, and are closing at an alarming rate, even pre-Covid.

TrickyD · 08/08/2020 11:41

You might be interested to this advice to landlords from their trade association.
beerandpub.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/LicenseeGuidance/Licensed-Property-Noise-Control.pdf

Oliversmumsarmy · 08/08/2020 11:49

I don’t understand how this could be happening now.

I know different places have taken SD and ignored the regulations but surely what is happening in the pub is completely against all advice.

Around my area you can’t stand around drinking you have to have a table which obviously limits numbers and you text your order to the bar.
No seat = No entry.
There is usually a SD queue to get in places in the evening.

Equally live music/singing events is the last place people should be attending unless the band is behind a screen.
I know a few small bands and singers who would have normally played music events at pubs etc and there isn’t anything going on at the moment.

Having lived in a village there is the general attitude that people there can do anything and normal rules or the law doesn’t apply to them.
All it takes is one person to have the virus and this is where you get those spikes.

All you can do is call the police on the anti social behaviour every time and call the councils noise abatement people and the pub licensing people to complain and get others who are being affected to do the same.

Pingu21 · 08/08/2020 11:50

YABU. The pub was there when you purchased your property, you lived in the village beforehand and say yourself that you knew that it was noisy. I just don't understand why people buy properties next to Churches, Pubs or Schools and then complain about bell ringing, pub noise or lots of traffic at pick-up and drop-off time.

BlueJava · 08/08/2020 11:54

I seems that the noise from the pub and also the road traffic has really increased since you moved (although I can't understand why you moved from one side of the road to the other if it was already noisy). I think you have to consider moving - I appreciate you said it's not a solution you want to think of, but realistically the traffic isn't going to get less and the pub will still be noisy. You either have to put up with it (and grow a bit bitter!) or leave for somewhere much quieter.

blue25 · 08/08/2020 11:59

You choose a house near a pub, you get noise. That’s why most people wouldn’t look twice at those houses.

KrabbyPatties · 08/08/2020 12:01

Complain to the licensing board

IfIHadAHeart · 08/08/2020 12:02

YABVU to move opposite a pub and expect any other.

durdlestairs · 08/08/2020 12:03

Report to the council, the licensing board, and if you think they are not following social distancing within the pub, the police.

lotusbell · 08/08/2020 12:36

Thanks for all the helpful advice.
As I said, I don't need the 'you chose to live opposite a pub', comments. There are reasons why we're here and it's never as clear cut as you think, but thanks for contributing.

OP posts:
Witchend · 08/08/2020 13:09

What's the licence terms?

We used to live nearly opposite a pub. Occasionally noisy, but not too bad. Live music or karaoke nights were a bit of a pain as the door would invariably end up being propped open, and although they were meant to stop at midnight it was often after half past. However it didn't happen too often, and they were there first so we ignored it.

Then they put in for a change of licence. This was open to 2am Friday/Saturday night. Live music until 4am 12 times a year plus on any bank holidays and big sporting events.

I opposed it and went to the meeting. I pointed out the door, contrary to their licencing conditions (and yes, it did state that the door wasn't to be propped open during live sessions) was normally open, that taxi drivers picking up sounded their horn and that the previous late sessions they'd over run by 23 and 41 minutes respectively.
I did say that I appreciated that the first two things weren't necessarily the landlord's fault, but that it impacted a number of the houses locally, and that we were prepared to put up with it under the current licence laws, but the proposals would make it far more intrusive.

It didn't get passed.

And, yes, I was on good terms with the landlord (he changed fairly recently) and remained on good terms with him. And what's more, he took some of the things I'd said on board and did his best to prevent them happening (and often apologised later if he'd not noticed at the time.)

lotusbell · 08/08/2020 13:23

@Witchend, helpful, thank you. That would've been awful!
No idea re: terms of licence, how would I find that info out?

OP posts:
Vivana · 08/08/2020 14:13

Contact your local pcso oficer they should be able to help you and may go and speak to the landlord

minnieok · 08/08/2020 14:45

So you bought a house near a pub and are annoyed that its popular? Check when it's licenced to, usually 11pm or midnight, if customers are on site beyond this then it's fair to complain but assuming they are not contravening their licence then yabu to complain. If you don't like living near a pub, move

LakieLady · 08/08/2020 15:03

No idea re: terms of licence, how would I find that info out?

Dr Google says: www.gov.uk/alcohol-licence-your-area

HeronLanyon · 08/08/2020 15:12

Plus ‘tables and chairs licence’ for the outside tables. Annual renewal. On your local authority site. Will have hours and numbers set out.

lotusbell · 08/08/2020 15:55

Thank.you, looked on my local council website, couldn't see.much but will try and delve a bit deeper.

OP posts:
Shoxfordian · 08/08/2020 15:59

Go to the pub yourself and join in

MitziK · 08/08/2020 16:03

Complain enough and it'll lose its licence, several local people will lose their jobs, then it'll be knocked down and a block of flats or a supermarket or takeaway put up in its place.

That should be better for you. Once the building work finishes. Assuming you have a driveway. And have access to other social activities and employment in the area.

lotusbell · 08/08/2020 18:05

No driveway, @MitziK, we live in a stone terrace, OH parks at the back on an unamed road, but thank you for your assumption.

OP posts:
MitziK · 08/08/2020 22:24

@lotusbell

No driveway, *@MitziK*, we live in a stone terrace, OH parks at the back on an unamed road, but thank you for your assumption.
It's all right, then. You'll just be sharing the unamed road with the builders and the new residents, then. I'm sure it'll be fine.
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