Nantwich residents are angry at a pub company’s bid to re-open its Welsh Row venue with longer opening hours.
Enterprise Inns plc has applied to change the licensing conditions in place at the currently closed Wilbraham Arms pub.
They want to extend opening hours to midnight Sunday to Wednesday, and 1am Thursday to Saturday.
They also want to extend the sale of alcohol hours to match the new opening times, and also provide late night food until 1.30am Thursday to Saturday.
The bid also requests a condition preventing under 16s being on the premises after 8pm is removed.
But Cheshire East Council has received 24 letters of objection to the application, mostly from nearby residents on Welsh Row.
One resident said: “People who have been drinking all night make their way home and stop off to consume more alcohol at the Wilbraham Arms.
“By the time they go home many are loud, belligerent and engage in alcohol-related antisocial conduct.
“This is not a welcoming environment in which to raise children of which there are many in surrounding homes.”
Another objector added: “We are deeply concerned about the impact of the anti-social behaviour that will needlessly result from extended hours.
“When previously open there was disruptive behaviour with shouting, fighting, urinating and being sick.”
A third neighbour said: “Previous efforts of owners/tenants to control anti-social behaviour proved completely ineffective, and caused considerable problems for residents.”
Enterprise Inns took over the venue in September 2011 and renovation work has been carried out with a view to reopening.
Police and environmental health officers have not objected.
The application is due to be decided on by Cheshire East’s Licensing Act Sub Committee on Thursday July 4.
wilbrahams used to be open past midnight before it closed. i can remember many the late night “open mic” nights on a sunday continuing until past midnight and live music each friday that could be heard all over kingsley village until about midnight. didnt bother me before, certainly won’t going forward.
24 out of how many people have complained!
Really? I live a 5 minute walk away and I am looking forward to seeing what the venue will offer! It is what 500 yards from Nakatcha, The Cat, Firenze and the Black Lion.
Can’t say I currently get much disturbance from these at the moment so can’t see that causing any more of an issue.
Judge not lest ye be judged.
I totally agree with GD. All complaints seem to be coming from Welsh Row residents where as PD states there are many other licenced premesis open far later than 1.00pm.
So why should there be one rule for Nakatchas etc and a seperate rule for the Wilbrahams.
As a previous user of the Wilbrahams, I found that on the occasions I went into the establishment the crowd were mainly middle aged and I have never witnessed any incidents of bad behaviour.
I would suggest to your Welsh Row residents that most of the incidents they refer to are caused by the younger element of society on their way home from the later opening establishments and night club.
It still puzzles me however why these people buy a house opposite a pub and then constantly complain about it !!
@GD
You seem to have automatically assumed that everyone who lives within a short distance of this pub is an incomer? Perhaps, just maybe, these are genuine dabbers who are concerned about the plans to reopen the pub with late licensing. There are already numerous late licence premises in the Welsh Row area and is there a need for another one?
We live in a democratic society and everyone has the right to support or object to applications. Don’t assume everyone is just a moaner for moanings sake, these are legitimate concerns that need to be considered and hopefully the planning authority will take a balanced view of all opinions.
Here we go again! These people move into homes very near to a building that has been a public house for many years and then complain. Why don’t these incomers leave for a rural environment where they can moan about church bells chiming, birds tweeting and cows mooing? A lot of mis-information was put out accusing Wilbraham’s customers of various things such as leaving beer cans (the pub did not sell beer in cans) and take-away rubbish (any take-away would have been consumed on the premises) on doorsteps. Also, do these complainants really think that a customer would leave the pub, with its toilet facilities, to go outside and urinate on their doors? Unfortunately, the Council bow down to these moaners instead of considering the fact that the pub was there before they were. A good family pub has been closed for far too long.