Council complains about noise from wedding venue

A parish council has complained about the levels of noise and disturbance from a wedding venue.

The Barn, near Luton, Bedfordshire, holds a licence from North Herts Council that allows it to stay open until 01:30 on weekends and can provide alcohol and late-night refreshments until 01:00.

Offley Parish Council has made a number of claims against the venue, including that fireworks were being let off within the car park and on the surrounding village green, and it also raised parking issues.

The Barn told the BBC that a majority of its events conclude by 23:00, that it rarely operates until midnight, and it has invested in acoustic soundproofing.

The parish council has said the disturbances relate to when functions were held on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

It claimed there have been two reported drone sightings from the venue, incidents of noise late into the night past 01:00, and parking that blocked residents' driveways, the village green and grass verges.

In response, The Barn said: "The Barn is a small, family-run business and we take our responsibilities to the local community very seriously. We work constructively with the relevant authorities and make every reasonable effort to address and mitigate legitimate concerns."

It said it has a "clear policy" prohibiting clients and guests from setting off fireworks, it does not permit unauthorised drone use at events and has on-site parking for up to 70 vehicles.

"We remain committed to being considerate neighbours and to maintaining constructive dialogue with local residents, Offley Parish Council and North Hertfordshire District Council," it said.

The concerns will be considered during a North Herts Council licensing sub-committee meeting on 5 October.

Both parties will have an opportunity to put their views to the council before any next steps are taken.

When issuing a decision notice, the sub-committee has a range of options, from taking no action to modifying the conditions of the licence or revoking the licence altogether.

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