A PUB will see its licensed premises extended to include an external smoking area, despite objections from residents and police. East Hampshire district councillors ratified the "small expansion" to the Wey Bridge, in an area bordering the High Street last month – but locals are far from pleased. Hampshire Police recorded 20 incidents immediately outside the Wey Bridge, including assaults, public disorder and arrests. Residents complain of frequent and unacceptable noise levels, a litany of broken glass and cigarette butts and the use of an alleyway as a toilet. At the hearing at Petersfield's Penns Place, High Street resident Geoffrey Draughn said: "This is a real problem for people living in the vicinity, not so much week-in week-out, but weekend-in weekend-out. "Residents of a small country town like Alton want to be able to walk down the street after 10pm and to go to sleep before 2am. Anything that makes the current situation worse is not tolerable," he said. "There are people on the streets and the noise levels past 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays has been significantly worse since the smoking ban. All the while, that noise is accompanied by pounding, thudding, techno bass music." Diana Wood, who lives next to the pub, continued: "The noise is intolerable on Friday and Saturday nights after 12 and around 2am. "The [smoking] area itself is so small I have noticed that a lot of people spill out onto the pavement and go round the corner to the alley, which is not well lit as some of the lights are broken. "The toilets in the pub are way, way back and if people are in the front they can't be bothered to go to them. People use the alley to urinate and worse. I'm having to have double-glazing put in. "And there doesn't appear to be any litter bins in the area. There is glass on the floor that I have to sweep up," she added. On behalf of the licensee Adam Curley, solicitor Charles Grunert, representing Barracuda Pubs and Restaurants, spoke for the proposals. "The application is a narrow issue for you to consider – we are asking for a small expansion to the licensed area at the front of the premises," he said. Describing the small walled area initially outside the doors of the premises, Mr Grunert outlined proposals to restrict the serving of alcohol and refreshments in the area after 10pm. The area will then be cleared of tables and chairs, with customers permitted to smoke outside, with two ashtrays for cigarette butts secured to external walls. "It is now illegal for someone to smoke openly in an enclosed area – as such we must provide an area where customers can smoke outside," he said. "The removal of tables and chairs doesn't stop people going outside, but they would have no other reason to linger other than to have cigarette, and people who went out to have cigarette would be allowed to come back in." Mr Grunert added that the pub has "a very strict policy of not allowing bottles and glasses off the premises, with doorstaff trained in the matter. "We don't think we have an issue with glass outside the premises," he continued. "Where this glass came from we couldn't tell you but it is safe to say it wasn't from our premises." With regard to the noise and disturbance outside the pub, Mr Grunert added: "Once these people have moved away from our property it is not the responsibility of the Wey Bridge."
