Pub given licence to extend hours they sell alcohol

Licensing chiefs have given the go-ahead for a Herefordshire pub to extend the hours they sell alcohol.

Paul English, landlord of the King’s Head in Docklow, also asked permission to allow live and recorded music to be played indoors from 11am to midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and until 1am from Friday to Saturday.

He also applied to Herefordshire Council to be able to serve late night refreshment indoors from 11pm to midnight from Sunday to Thursday and 11pm to 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Nick Semper, speaking on behalf of the applicant, called on the committee to grant the licence and allow the pub to flourish.

He said: “The King’s Head in Docklow has been a pub for literally hundreds of years.

“It’s an archetypal village pub. However, in the past decade it has fallen to the same blight which has destroyed countless others across the county.

“Since the smoking ban, the UK has lost 11,000 pubs and Covid has claimed another 8,000.

“There was a concerted effort to turn this pub into a dwelling. The local community amassed and rallied around the Campaign for Real Ale. It was saved but left empty for several years with no immediate hopes of salvation.

“A few months ago, Mr Paul English discovered this abandoned pub and made it his business to restore this lost jewel in North Herefordshire.”

Mark Haslam, of the Herefordshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, also called on the committee to approve the scheme.

“One only needs to read some of the letters from the locals to realise the importance of the King’s Head to the local community,” he said.

“Docklow is a very small community that has no other facilities, not even village hall.

“Historically, any function such as private parties, community meetings, wakes and wedding receptions were regularly hosted by the pub.”

Licensing sub-committee chairman Alan Seldon said they decided to grant the premises licence as presented.

“I wish Mr English the best of luck with his new venture.”

The pub was also granted permission to extend opening hours to 1am on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Sundays before Bank Holidays.