Wedding venue’s alcohol plan leaves locals worried about drunken …
A wedding venue’s application to play live music and sell alcohol until late has worried some nearby residents, who complain that events have already caused their driveways to be strewn with smashed glass and drunken guests to wander onto their properties. Old Chapel Farm in Eldernell Lane, Coates – east of Whittlesey – hosts parties and events alongside weddings.
Its application for a premises licence will be decided by Fenland District Council[1] on Friday (October 27). The application has divided opinion, with 16 objections from worried residents and 15 emails of support – including from local residents, event guests at Old Chapel Farm and those who know the owners.
One objector, who said they share a boundary with the Old Chapel Farm, claimed he has to clear balloons and lanterns from nearby fields after events, as well as plastic bottles and crisp packets dropped on the road. He also said he had seen one guest ‘urinating on the drive’.
A woman described a ‘very scary’ situation in which ‘two men with beer bottles in hand wandered onto my property, and walked past my window and towards the back of my property’ while she was at home alone with her two children.
Broken glass left on the road was a concern repeated by many of those against the application. One said they have had to clean up 'large shards of glass' before driving, and that the issue has ‘prevented us from walking our dog, and also our two young children from walking or riding their bicycles/scooters’.
Whittlesey Town Council is also in opposition, stating that ‘the sound of late-night music can travel many miles and annoy thousands of residents’.
The licence would allow live or recorded music to be allowed indoors and outdoors from 12pm – until 1am, Sunday to Thursday, and 2am, Friday and Saturday. It also includes the sale of alcohol between 4pm and 11pm, Sunday to Thursday, and 4pm to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Old Chapel Farm has three venues, each of which has a capacity for 120 guests and 30 people staying overnight. Conditions to the licence have been added by the police and agreed to by the applicant – including continuously-recording CCTV, ensuring noise ‘does not cause nuisance or unreasonable disturbance’ to neighbours, regular monitoring of noise levels when music is playing, and a ‘Challege 25’ system in place to prevent underage drinking.
None of the authorities consulted, including Cambridgeshire Constabulary[4], Public Health and Environmental Health, made representations – meaning they do not oppose the application.
One of the emails of support from a guest at the venue praised its sound-proofing, explaining that the celebration they attended included loud DJs but ‘when we went outside you could hardly hear a thing’. She said it was so quiet that she could hear nearby deer calling to each other.
Another person, who knows the venue owners, made a similar point: “The sound attenuation is of the highest quality. I know this because I was there when it was installed.”
Reference to the professionalism of events was repeated by a number of supporters, as was the local job opportunities provided by the venue. One nearby resident said: “I wholeheartedly advocate for the approval of Old Chapel Farm's premises licence application, firmly convinced that it is in the best interest of our community.
“I recognise the pivotal role this plays in bolstering our local economy and affording us the means to invest in much-needed enhancements to our public services.
“Furthermore, the applicants have consistently demonstrated their commitment to responsible business practices and their dedication to being exemplary neighbours.”
The application and details of Fenland District Council’s meeting to decide whether to grant the licence can be found here[5].
References
- ^ Fenland District Council (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ Plans to expand dog kennels refused after noise and smell complaints (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ Resident worry Cambridgeshire off licence will worsen ‘alcohol-related crime and disorder’ (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ Cambridgeshire Constabulary (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.fenland.gov.uk)