The Crown Inn Faces Opposition Over New Outdoor Bar Plans

The Crown Inn, recently refurbished and reopened in the village of Lea near Ross-on-Wye, is encountering resistance from a neighbouring resident regarding its proposed outdoor bar. Although the pub was granted a late licence in March by county councillors—despite some villagers’ concerns over late-night noise and potential unruly behaviour—an administrative oversight meant the outdoor bar wasn’t initially included in the licence notices.

Subsequently, the Crown Inn has submitted a fresh application to serve alcohol outdoors until 10pm. This new proposal has sparked objections from a neighbour, prompting the council’s licensing subcommittee to reassess the request.

The neighbour expressed concerns about disturbances affecting their family, highlighting that their children’s bedtime is 8pm and early mornings at 6:15am require restful nights. They noted that the youngest child, whose bedroom is close to the pub, has already been disrupted on Friday and Saturday nights. Additionally, the neighbour mentioned a persistent humming noise from a machine at the rear of the pub/barn, with inadequate sound-proofing exacerbating the issue.

In an effort to reduce disruptions, the neighbour suggested restricting outdoor music from Sunday to Thursday evenings to lessen noise and prevent patrons from raising their voices to compete with music volume. Despite extensive correspondence between the neighbour and the pub’s management, no mutually agreeable solution has been reached.

Responding to concerns, the Crown Inn has voluntarily adjusted its current licence conditions by turning off outdoor music at 10pm instead of the permitted 11pm. They also intend for the proposed “Summer Bar” to close by 10pm each night. Should the council approve the application on May 29, the Crown Inn plans to launch the Summer Bar next month, featuring an outdoor area serving beer, cider, cocktails, and a stone-baked pizza oven offering takeaway options.