Pub in late night noise row

The Kings Arms in Ashton has been criticised by local resident Michael Moulding for anti-social behaviour and not showing enough respect for its neighbours.

A number of errors have also been spotted in the terms of the licence which the Warrington Road pub is currently operating under.

National pubco Admiral Taverns, which owns the Kings Arms, has suggested some minor changes to straighten out the conditions and also to keep doors and windows shut from 10pm rather than 11pm.

However, Mr Moulding says this is not enough and he is pushing for a full review involving the licensing sub-committee at Wigan Council.

He says he is particularly annoyed that the licence currently does not taken into account there is a care home nearby, claiming elderly and vulnerable people are being affected by the late-night noise.

He said: “I just want the pub to be respectful to the local community and at the moment they have their doors open playing loud music when there are residents adjacent to it and a care home at the rear.

“Last Friday the music was so loud that vibrations were literally coming through into my home at 1.30am. I spoke to another residents who lives about 40m down the street and he could hear it too.

“They just have to keep the doors and windows closed and the music at a reasonable level, it’s not rocket science.

“Unfortunately I do not believe Admiral Taverns’ behaviour in trying to change the licence conditions is acceptable so I’ve been forced to put in an application. I don’t see an alternative.”

Both the pubco and the local authority say they are in discussions to find a solution. Wigan Council says it is aware of the inaccuracies in the current licence and hoped the variations would solve that.

Julie Middlehurst, Wigan Council’s service manager for regulatory services, said: “As set out in the council’s licensing policy we will always work with licensed premises in the first instance to address any issues.”

Tom Jones, business development manager for the local area at Admiral Taverns, said: “We are aware of the complaint and are in ongoing dialogue with Wigan Council and the local community to address any concerns.”

The row comes just after Mr Moulding called for a premises review of nearby now-closed rock pub The Fleece, with investigations discovering a catalogue of serious failings there.