Cigarettes and noise now a no-no outside hostelry after residents complain, as Lynn Postle reports
The smoking ban has spilled outdoors in Ross-on-Wye this week, with customers at one pub being barred from lighting up on the street after residents complained.
A notice is to be displayed outside the Horse and Jockey pub in New Street telling customers they will be refused a drink if they smoke on the street outside and that music cannot be played outside after 9pm.
The notice is part of extra conditions to the pub licence which have been imposed by Herefordshire Council’s regulatory sub-committee after some of the pub’s neighbours called for the premise licence to be reviewed.
The council received complaints about noise coming from inside the pub and about people smoking outside the front and rear of the building.
The current licence allows for the performance of live music, playing of recorded music, dancing and sale of alcohol between 11am and 11pm (Monday to Wednesday), 11am to midnight (Thursday to Saturday) and noon to 10.30pm on Sunday.
The council received a complaint from a local resident which was followed by three letters from other residents supporting a review of the pub’s licence.
Five letters were received from local residents against the review.
At a recent meeting Herefordshire Council’s regulatory sub-committee decided to impose extra conditions on the licence.
This states: “A condition is hereby imposed that a notice shall be displayed reading ‘Customers must not smoke on the street outside these premises. Any person failing to observe this condition will be refused further service at the bar upon re-entry’.
“This notice, measuring not less than A4 size, shall be prominently displayed on both the entrance door to the premises and also on the ground floor street facing windows in such a manner that it is clearly visible to customers. Enforcement by the DPS of this policy shall be a condition of this licence.”
The committee also decided that televisions or amplified music cannot be used “in any external area of the premises” after 9pm. They urged residents and those running the pub to liaise with each other through a mediation group of council officers.
Landlady Janis Harmer declined to comment about the new condition.
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