THE Plough public house in West Street has been denied the opportunity to extend its opening hours. Meeting last Thursday, Waverley Borough Council's (WBC) licensing sub-committee announced the decision following complaints from nearby residents. The Plough, owned by Mitchells and Butlers Leisure and Retail, applied for an extension of its opening hours from 10 am across the week to midnight on both Fridays and Saturdays. Also included in the application was a further 12 "event nights" which would extend opening times by a further hour. The public house is the inaugural "It's a Scream" pub - a franchise which now numbers more than 100 nationwide. Offering a "Yellow Card" to student clientele allowing customers to purchase cheaper drinks, The Plough holds regular promotional nights, including a "Pound a Pint" evening on Wednesdays. Stephen Drake, representing Mitchells and Butlers said: "The variations sought are minor, being an extra hour on closing times on Fridays and Saturdays. The use of the garden will not extend past its current use, which will notionally be 11-20 pm on Mondays to Saturdays and 10-50 pm on Sundays." He continued: "In the five months that the current landlord has inhabited The Plough, there has only been one complaint about the noise in the beer garden. "Mitchells and Butlers are always mindful of our neighbours, it is something it takes very personally." However, local resident James Anderson of nearby Potters Gate said: "All efforts to consult with residents have not been made. A small piece of A5 paper in the window is not enough." "Two days a week doesn't sound a lot, but when you add the special events that is 116 days open till midnight - that's nearly a third of the year." Simon Latham, a neighbour of the pub continued in the same vein. "I like to take a balanced view but the noise from both the pub and the garden and people leaving is unbearable at times. One hundred and fifty students in full swing makes a pretty noisy event and you can hear the pub garden in action from College Gardens, which is 100 metres away. "My house is within eight feet of that. You may say 'why buy a house next to a pub? - you should expect noise', but at the time time I bought it there was little more than a murmur. "The issue of noise is a real one. I get people vomiting and urinating against my wall, and people climbing on my wall to get into the beer garden - why should I put up with it?" he concluded. Responding, Mr Drake reiterated that landlord James Scott had only received one complaint in his five-month tenancy and pointed to successful negotiations with the police. "If there was a problem, the environmental department would be making the appropriate representation," he added. Before consultation, councillor John Savage asked probing questions as to the nature of drinks promotions held within The Plough, and the potential for "binge drinking" within the establishment. "Mitchells and Butlers run promotions on both food and drink," replied Mr Drake. Following a 40-minute consultation, committee chairman Bob Frost announced the decision. "The application has been refused. The pub is situated in the town centre and in the middle of a dense residential area and an extension would harm the amenity of residents."
