Brighton pub given permission to open beer garden

A pub in the centre of Brighton has been given permission to open a beer garden.

The Marlborough, in Prince’s Street, Brighton, aims to create a beer garden in place of an old garage.

The proposal divided neighbours, with five objecting and three supporting the application to Brighton and Hove City Council for planning permission.

The objectors said that they were already disturbed by the noise from customers sitting outside the front of the pub.

The council’s Planning Committee was told: “The small space proposed is enclosed by high brick walls. Sound would reverberate wildly and amplify.

“The submitted plans show the provision of six trestle tables with 12 benches which could easily seat 36 people and probably up to 50 on a busy night. This will be a busy garden.”

Councillor Ian Davey said: “Will this move the noise (from the front of the pub) or create two lots of noise. I fear it will be the latter.”

Councillor Graham Cox said: “This is very similar to a number of successful applications which we have had in Church Road (in Hove) over the years and they seem to work.

“It has the added benefit of removing a rather ugly garage door which would improve the street scene.”

Councillor Geoffrey Wells said: “It doesn’t look like a beer garden to me. It looks like a smoker’s yard.”

The applicant wanted the beer garden to stay open until midnight with a 2am close on a Sunday morning.

Planning officials recommended granting permission subject to the beer garden closing at 10pm.

Members of the Planning Committee were concerned that this would just mean that any noise would then be concentrated at the front of the pub.

Councillor Leo Littman said: “We’ve got people who are drinking, smoking and making a lot of noise outside a pub.

“This application would just move that noise until 10pm and then it would move back to where it was.”

Councillor Alan Robins said: “I can just imagine someone dialling 101 on a Friday night and saying someone’s still drinking in the beer garden.”

Members of the Planning Committee were reminded about the possibility of reviewing the pub’s licence if there was a persistent noise problem.

Neighbours who backed the plans said that they agreed with the pub that noise from customers was “too loud and does create conflict”.

They said: “The proposal should deal with that in a sensible way by moving customers sitting outside to the back of the pub.”

The council’s Noise Team said: “There is a history of noise complaints associated with the pub.”

The committee granted permission subject to conditions, including a ban on live or amplified music in the new beer garden.

The decision was made at Hove Town Hall this afternoon (Wednesday 9 October).