Pub ordered to remove decking area after complaints over 'horrendous noise'

A dozen objections were lodged with Dudley Council after the New Inn in Stourbridge installed the raised seating area on the corner of Cherry Street and Glebe Lane in Norton.

The raised area was installed earlier this year without planning permission. The pub then lodged a retrospective application.

But chief planning officer Carl Mellor ruled that the development affected road safety on the junction, and had a negative impact on the character of the neighbourhood.

Alex Pearson of Glebe Lane accused the pub of a lack of respect for the planning process: "The pub has already built the decking, with no regard to the neighbours, There has already been several noise complaints about the pub and now they have built a new decking and expanded closer to the street which will also increase the noise."

Lucy Jones, who lives in nearby Witton Street, said the alterations created a visual distraction to drivers, and represented an over-development.

"Furthermore, when busy the deck causes a huge amount of noise pollution both in the day and at night, which negatively impacts local residents," she added.

Rebecca Hems, of Glebe Lane, also complained about noise from the terrace.

"It is a visual distraction to all road users," she said. "Their customers already park on double yellow lines in Cherry Street, Witton Street and Glebe Lane, which already causes numerous issues due to the fact they have converted the majority of their car park to a beer garden."

Michelle Parker, of Cherry Street, said: "Too little parking has already created illegal parking on the junctions of Witton Street, the brow of the hill, Glebe Lane and Cherry Street.

"Their food van attracts people who eat their food on their car and chuck their rubbish in our street."

Anita Yardley, of Glebe Lane, added: "The parking and noise due to the pub is horrendous. Adding this raised decking has made the noise worse as it has bought the noise to the front of the pub."

Maureen Godfrey of Cherry Street said the pub was causing parking problems in the area.

"People park and block the entrance to Cherry Street, drop litter, park on double yellow lines without a disabled badge," she said.

"Residents are finding it difficult to sell their house because of illegal parking. Emergency vehicles cannot enter the road. It is a nightmare. The pub needs to re-instate their parking facilities."

A spokesman for the New Inn said no parking had been removed from the pub by fitting the decking area, which was previously occupied by a hedge and scrub land. He said the decking area actually improved highway visibility, and if necessary, could be screened with artificial hedging to mask the fencing

"Irrespective of the decking, the area would be used as a standing or seating area for customers anyway.."

But a report by a highways expert on behalf of the council voiced concerns relating to highway visibility from both Cherry Street and the pub’s car park.

Planning officer James Mead recommended permission should be refused.

"The proposed raised decking and screening by reason of its height, visual prominence, design and impact on highway safety would be detrimental to the existing street scene ad wider area of high historical townscape and the safety of other highway users," he said.