Stone pub's outside area to shut earlier over noise woes

A Staffordshire pub will shut its canalside area earlier in the evening after residents said noise was causing them stress and affecting their sleep.

Recordings from outside the Crown Wharf brewery tap in Stone included a choir practice.

Some complaints were lodged weeks after Joule's opened the pub in July 2021.

The recordings were played at a council meeting on Tuesday. Joule's said it had already begun closing the area earlier in a move to combat the noise problem.

A report to Stafford Borough Council's licensing sub-committee revealed sound levels recorded at residents' homes had occasionally exceeded 70 decibels - above the noise level recommended by the World Health Organisation.

The venue, which has won national awards for its design, has become a meeting space for a number of groups and charities, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

But residents in two streets, who have kept logs and recordings, say they have endured loud singing, shouting, shrieks and foul language from outside the pub.

'Orchestrated attack'

"For over 12 months now we have dreaded good weather, as this only brings added misery to our neighbourhood," resident David Tabbernor said.

He said he and his wife had experienced regular lack of sleep "owing to worries about the situation we find ourselves in, and suffering detrimental effects on our mental wellbeing".

After discussions about potential changes to the premise's licence, committee members agreed to add a condition that outdoor areas would not be used by customers after 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays and from 21:30 on other days.

But bosses at Joule's Brewery described the proposals as "draconian" and said the review "felt like an orchestrated attack on our business."

Anna Brakel, brand operations manager, said: "We are not a nightclub, nor are we a late night entertainment venue. There are other sites in Stone that offer this and it is not a market we are interested in."

She said live music on Fridays had been brought forward by 50 minutes to 21:00, to ensure it finished earlier.