Concerns raised over late night opening of pub

Concerns have been raised that allowing a Wetherspoons to stay open until 02.30 BST will set a precedent to allow pubs in residential areas to open for longer.

Norwich city councillors approved plans for The Glasshouse to increase its hours, despite reservations made by the authority's environmental protection officer.

They also warned that allowing the pub to stay open later could have "unacceptable adverse impacts" on people living nearby.

JD Wetherspoon said there was strong demand for the change and it expected its managers to resolve residents' complaints "quickly and effectively".

The Glasshouse on Wensum Street currently opens from 07:00 to 01:30 on Fridays and Saturdays. That is set to be extended to 02:30.

Those later opening hours will also include a number of other days, including Christmas Day, St George's Day and Burns Night.

It was also given permission to extend its 01:00 closure time on other nights of the week by an extra half an hour.

Six residents objected, with one explaining that "a night's sleep is becoming impossible" because of noise from nearby pubs.

Another warned of a "cascade effect" suggesting other nearby venues would seek longer hours.

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A similar concern was shared by the council's own environmental protection officer, Tom Dawson.

He warned that "granting extended hours could result in the incremental expansion of late-night activity into more residentially sensitive areas".

"I have concerns that the proposal has the potential to give rise to unacceptable adverse impacts on residential amenity," he added.

In its statement to the planning committee, JD Wetherspoon explained its application was "in response to strong customer demand" with people "wanting to stay out later".

It also said it had a "Good Neighbour Policy" and "managers are expected to resolve any complaints from local residents quickly and effectively".

Norfolk Police raised no concerns about the application and said there had been no noise complaints about the venue since 2012.

Councillors agreed to the extended hours for one year initially, so the impact could be assessed.

The pub will also need permission from the council's licensing committee to stay open longer.

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