A HOTEL owner in Llandrindod Wells had to shell out hundreds of pounds in refunds to guests who suffered sleepless nights due to the noise coming from a pub next door.
Powys County Council’s Licensing sub-committee held a meeting on Wednesday, March 20 to review the licence of The Log Cabin.
The council has received complaints about noise levels coming from the pub’s beer garden in the early hours of the morning.
The Log Cabin has a licence with a closing time at 2.30am on weekends, Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Eve, and 12.30am from Monday to Thursday.
Andrea Murdock, the owner of The Commodore Hotel which is next door to The Log Cabin, had made the complaint last August.
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After she kept a diary of noise incidents, on council advice, the environmental health department investigated in October and November last year.
Senior environmental health officer Paul Bufton said a noise monitoring box was placed in one of the hotel’s bedrooms over several nights from the end of October until November 7, and extracts were played at the hearing.
Mr Bufton told the hearing that the patterns of noise backed up the evidence contained in the diary kept by the complainant of “loud late night noise” which is also “a regular occurrence”.
Mr Bufton said: “If you were occupying this room with that level of noise it would not be reasonable to expect any sleep.
“We don’t want anybody in that outdoor area at all after midnight.”
Gareth Jones appearing on behalf of The Log Cabin licensee, Ken Sanders, explained that both The Commodore and Log Cabin had been owned by Mr Sanders in the past.
From 2012 Ms Murdock had leased the hotel and bought it outright in 2017.
The premises licence had been separate since 2012.
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Mr Jones said: “It was a very busy part of Llandrindod where you have lots of people descending on the Log and the nightclub, lots of noise for many years.”
He added that there is a nearby bank cashpoint where many people wait to hail taxis late at night, while revellers walk down the street to other pubs or takeaways.
Mr Jones added that Mr Sanders had offered to employ an extra door supervisor.
Police licensing officer Rod Bowen told the committee that police had been called to deal with noise complaints and anti-social behaviour issues at The Log Cabin 36 times in six years.
He said: “I wouldn’t consider that excessive given the late licence that the Log Cabin does have.”
Complainant Andrea Murdock said: “My main concern is the comfort of my guests and that they get a good night’s sleep.
“I have had to refund hundreds of pounds to people and families with babies coming down in the middle of the night as they cannot sleep.”
The committee ruled that Mr Sanders will need to hire another door supervisor from 9pm “until the premises are cleared”.
Chair Cllr Beverley Baynham added: “The outdoors area will be restricted to a smoking only area from midnight with no drinks to be consumed there after this time.
“The outside door to be closed from midnight and the speakers to be relocated from the adjoining walls.”
Mr Sanders has 21 days to appeal against the decision.
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