Restrictions on Hereford city pub’s marquee

A Hereford pub has been given permission for an events marquee in its beer garden, despite concerns over noise emanating from it.

The marquee to the rear of the Oxford Arms in the city’s Widemarsh Street has already been in use for nearly a year and a half, according to a planning application by landlady Tamara Woolley.

There were no individual objections to her retrospective bid to regularise its use.

But council environmental health officer Phillipa Long said there was “a history of complaints regarding the use of the marquee, and noise nuisance has been witnessed on several occasions by our department”.

“Use of the marquee as a function room for private parties is a concern, causing a noise impact in the area where there are many noise-sensitive premises, particularly residential properties,” she wrote – and objected to any amplification within the marquee.

Planning officer Josh Bailey did not go this far in his decision on the bid.

While the area “can continue to be utilised for eating and drinking and entertaining without likely causing any detriment to local amenity”, there are to be restrictions on when amplified music can be used, “in order to protect the amenity of occupiers of nearby properties”, he ruled.

A condition with the approval limits this to a maximum of 15 times each year, and no more than four times in any one month, and then only between the hours of between midday and 11pm.

“At no other time shall the use of sound amplifying equipment be used within the marquee or in the beer garden,” the condition with the planning approval states.

The pub must also now submit an updated noise management plan for approval by the end of March.