Unicorn Hotel owner opposes neighbouring bar The Green Room's bid to extend hours over noise concerns in Brackley

A hotel owner in Brackley told a licensing hearing he is opposed to an application from a bar and restaurant next door extending its hours due to noise concerns.

Joao Silva, owner of The Unicorn Hotel in Bridge Street, was speaking at the West Northamptonshire Council's Licensing Sub Committee hearing on Wednesday (July 7).

The Green Room bar and restaurant had applied to vary its premises licence which will allow it to serve alcohol until Monday to Thursday until midnight and on Fridays and Saturdays until 1am. And also to play recorded music indoors Mon-Thurs until 1am and Friday and Saturday until 2am.

The council's licensing manager, Nick Sutcliffe, said: "There have been no complaints received from The Unicorn in relation to The Green Room during the entirety of the Green Rooms's opening over the last eight years.

"In fact we only have two complaints from the same member of the public over the last five years in relation to The Green Room.

"We have had no complaints from people using the Unicorn from what goes on at The Green Room either."

Mr Silva told the hearing: "We are having a lot of calls at the hotel where residents around The Unicorn are thinking that the noise is coming from The Unicorn.

"We have rooms along the side of the building which are adjacent to the garden and the wall of The Green Room.

"So any late music will, we get complaints now, but 1am licence, I think, is a bit too much."

Shaun Melson, general manager at the hotel, who lives near The Green Room, said: "The residents of Brewery Walk and I have been suffering from loud noise and disturbance at night time when we are trying to sleep because of loud music and noise coming from the garden.

"And we appreciate where people have to make a living, but after 11 or 12 o'clock, I think that's late enough for people to be outside drinking and partying with music playing."

Theo Benson, general manager of The Green Room, said: "As you will be fully aware, the hospitality industry as in general at the moment has had a big period where we have lost a major amount of profit through it being closed and this period now we are looking to recoup some of that lost income."

He went on to say: "Outside we close at 10pm. Our agreement with South Northamptonshire Council is 10.30.

"However we don't like to push that limit. Various households around us have complained in years before with voice recordings.

"And they set voice recordings up in the garden and we haven't had any of these been submitted recently.

"We completely close our recycling area and do not take any bins out after 10 o'clock either just to respect the local community.

"Now we've been running as a business for eight years at an exceptionally high level. We have a great reputation within the local community.

"Most of our patrons are from the local community and we respect all of the wishes of everybody hence us closing the outside areas at such an early time despite the number of seats that we actually have outside.

"We don't look at the income that is lost from that. We do respect the noise pollution laws that are in place and we make sure that we abide by the law at all times."

The committee will deliver its decision within five working days of the hearing.