St Albans pub withdraws live music bid

UNHAPPY residents fearful that their lives could be blighted by live music from a St Albans pub every night can heave a sigh of relief.

Ros Wilcox, landlady of The Farmer's Boy in London Road, has withdrawn her application in the face of opposition from neighbours.

But she wanted to make it clear that she never intended to hold music events there seven nights a week.

She said this week: "At present we can hold one music event a week on a Thursday Friday or a Saturday until 11pm. But occasionally we need to apply for permission for special occasions and this was a bid to get some flexibility so we could do less paperwork."

Miss Wilcox said the application also requested a daily extension of half an hour drinking-up time to regularise an anomaly in the way her licence has been set up.

Currently the licence states she can serve alcohol right up to the time customers are expected to clear the pub so she was asking for an extra half hour to regularise the situation.

But after around 16 residents objected to the application, Miss Wilcox withdrew it.

She said: "We want to have a good relationship with our neighbours. We are looking into improving our soundproofing and we don't want people to feel unhappy about what we are doing here."

Currently the pub is allowed to open daily from midday to 11pm from Sunday through to Tuesday, from midday to midnight on Wednesday and Thursday and from midday to 2am on Friday and Saturday. But all music has to cease at 11pm.

District councillor Jack Pia, who represents St Peters ward, said: "I think The Farmers Boy has done the right thing. Residents are worried about anti- social behaviour and noise disturbance and the increase of it. I know landlords always say we don't intend to do that sort of thing but once the licence is there, it's there to stay.