Pub wins licence changes despite church objections

One objector said The Snug had been a "bugbear" for one of the churches

A micro pub has been told its customers can use an outdoor courtyard despite a neighbouring spiritualist church arguing noise there has "really compromised the healing".

The Snug in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, applied to change its licence to expand its area for "permitted activities", including the supply of alcohol.

A number of objections were lodged about the potential impact on worshippers at the neighbouring Free Church and St Ives Spiritualist Church.

The micro pub's owner said it was a "high-quality establishment, with good-quality clientele" and Huntingdonshire District Council's licencing sub-committee granted the changes.

The Snug is down Free Church Passage, which runs down the right of the church in this picture

At a Licensing Sub-Committee this week, the president of the spiritualist church, Gina Zivtins, said it had approached The Snug's owner Matthew Kelly before, when the pub's activities in the summer had "escalated with music", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

She added she was "all for businesses", but questioned if the pub was "really best situated right next to two churches?".

Church committee member Bruce Moore also raised concerns about the impact noise was having on healing sessions.

"A major part of healing is done in silence. Since The Snug has been there it has been a bugbear to us," he said.

"So much noise — it has really compromised the healing."

Objections were also raised by members of the St Ives Choral Society who perform at the Free Church, claiming noise had affected concerts and rehearsals.

However, some did recognise Mr Kelly was "sympathetic" to the situation and suggested the group's concert dates could be marked in his diary.

Mr Kelly told the hearing he was "committed to maintaining good relations" with his neighbours.

He highlighted examples of contact he had made with the churches and said he now had a list of events coming up at the Free Church.

He said the changes being requested were not to "expand or extend the opening hours", but would enable the pub to use the outdoor area for "key summer events" without having to apply for temporary event notices.

"The Snug has operated responsibly and collaboratively since opening, without a single official complaint or incident in two years of trading," he said.

"We have demonstrated a willingness to engage with neighbours, uphold public safety, and contribute positively to the community."