St Albans Museum + Gallery has backed down on an application to play music and serve drinks for longer.

An application was before St Albans council to host plays indoors and outdoors, show films indoors, play live and recorded music and hold dance performances until 1am at the latest.

However, at today’s licensing sub-committee meeting, a stop time of 11pm was settled on for all days of the week, with no noise outside after 10pm. There will also be door staff to enforce good behaviour outside.

Cllr Jacqui Taylor said: “It was wholly unreasonable for the council to submit an application to allow music outdoors until 1am. Inevitably there were objections, including from me.

“It is welcome the council made changes to their application, but to do so at the eleventh hour is disrespectful to residents as it gives them no time to consider the amendments.

Particularly when I had done the council the courtesy of advising the commercial team there were objections to their application back in August. This licensing hearing was potentially avoidable had the council acted differently.”