Councillors criticise plans for live music at Newark pub until early hours of the morning
Plans to allow live music at a Newark pub until 3.30am have been criticised by councillors.
The White Hind pub on Cartergate has applied to Newark and Sherwood District Council for a licence to allow live music from 7pm until 3.30am from Thursday to Saturday.
The pub is also seeking permission to play live music from 4pm until 2am on Sundays.
Members of Newark Town Council's planning committee met to discuss the application.
Concerns were raised over noise levels and the potential increase in anti-social behaviour if the changes were permitted.
Committee member Johno Lee said: "I've got a few issues. Once you start going later and later, it's a proven fact that you start getting more drunk people.
"I have no issue with pubs opening for longer, I have no issues with them playing music. What I have considerable issues with is anti-social behaviour.
"I would say that 3.30am is too late, the last person being kicked out should be 3am and a minimum of three door staff."
The comments followed an incident at the pub in November last year when a 49-year-old man was assaulted and hit at least seven times in the face.
Committee member Jay Henderson said: "There are residents who live near it. There are also other businesses which operate in the evening which aren't pubs, but they do have customers there in the evening.
"I spoke to a regular customer of one of the businesses that is neighbouring this pub and she said, in a cynical sense, that they look out of the window for entertainment to watch the fights at this particular premises on regular basis.
"There's an awful lot of trouble already associated with this particular establishment."
Members of the committee unanimously objected to the application on grounds of prevention of crime and disorder, the negative impact on public safety and the prevention of public nuisance.
