Patching village pub landlords prosecuted after noise complaints

The owners, who run The Fox Inn, in Patching, appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court on June 26, 2024 after the council instigated legal action. It came after a series of extensive investigations by Environmental Health, which concluded that noise levels at the pub was negatively effecting residents, all of which continued despite a noise abatement notice being issued as early as November 2022.

On top of this, a review of the pub’s licence was carried out in March 2023 due to ongoing noise complaints.

The pub appealed to the Magistrates Court following Arun District Council’s licensing committee decision, but were unsuccessful. As a result, the pub is now obliged to operate under additional licencing conditions aimed at reducing noise impacts.

These include:

1. No live or recorded music permitted in the marquee or outside areas until the premises submit an independent acoustic report2. Noise management plan to be approved by Environmental Health3. Limiting amplified music and voices in outdoor areas (including the marquee) to 10pm Monday to Saturday, and 9.30pm on Sunday’s and bank holidays.

The operators of the pub were fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £2,160 towards the council’s legal costs, and a £400 victim surcharge.

Chair of the Licensing Committee Cllr Blanchard-Cooper said:“This successful prosecution follows significant investigations by our Environmental Health team, which should not have been necessary when simple steps could have been taken by the business to address noise concerns. Noise complaints were received within a matter of weeks of the operators taking over the business and their lack of response to the actions of the council is extremely disappointing. It is hoped the prosecution will result in positive behaviour change from the business and that it will not be necessary for the council to take further enforcement action.“Pubs are a very important part of the communities of Arun, as well as contributing positively to the economy and creating important jobs. However, we expect licensed premises to operate within the law and not cause unreasonable impacts to residents. It was very disappointing that it was necessary to Review the licence of this business given that following an Abatement Notice the business did not take steps to address noise impacts, putting profits before their legal responsibilities and the rights of residents to use their properties without being unreasonably impacted by noise. Prosecution is the very last resort for the council and this action is not taken lightly, however we will not hesitate to use the full extent of our legal powers to deal with persistent offenders.”