FARNHAM is feeling the force of the new pub licensing laws after two of the town's public houses were granted permission by Waverley Borough Council to extend their opening hours. Meeting last Thursday, Waverley Borough Council's licensing sub-committee approved applications from The Fox in Lower Bourne and The New Seven Stars in East Street to extend their existing licenses. The Fox has been granted permission to extend its opening hours at the end of each day by 30 minutes, changing its closing time from 11 pm to 11-30 pm on Monday - Thursday, from 11-30 pm to midnight on Friday and Saturday and from 10-30 pm to 11 pm on Sunday. Alcohol will be sold up for an extra 30 minutes in cohesion with the extended opening hours, while the new license also enables The Fox to stage 12 "event" nights a year on condition that its windows and doors are closed to stop noise disturbing local residents. Richard Atchley, representing Greene King Pub Partners who own The Fox, was keen to reassure residents that the new license would not have an adverse effect on the community. "The real concern of the objectors is the music rather than the alcohol extension times," he said. "We want to reassure residents that it is the choice of the landlord that there will be no discos or karaoke events. The landlord is a family man and he doesn't want loud music to disturb his children. He will be liaising with the local community in an effort to satisfy their concerns when he stages the event nights." The New Seven Stars was also successful with its application. It will now serve alcohol up to 11-30 pm from Sundays to Wednesdays, up to midnight on Thursdays and up to 1 am on Friday and Saturday nights. The pub will be open an extra 30 minutes after the end of alcohol sales and the new license will give the pub the opportunity to stage live and recorded music up to 1-30 pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Aside from the Waverley Borough Council meeting, Surrey Police has agreed to endorse, after initially objecting to, the extension of the opening hours of The Hogshead public house in Farnham. The pub will now close at midnight between Monday to Wednesday, 12-30 pm on Thursdays while it will stay open until 1-30 pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Sunday nights will see the pub close at 11-30 pm and alcohol will be served up to 30 minutes before closing on each night of the week. Sargeant John Eldridge of Surrey Police was keen to reassure Farnham residents that the new opening hours would not have a detrimental effect on the local community. "The Hogshead has taken a number of robust measures to improve security including installing CCTV and increasing the number of doormen it employs," he said. "The police can ask for a review of the license at any time if we feel it is warranted."
