Shipley pub granted licence to host outdoor music concerts

The Ring O Bells on Bradford Road was given the go ahead to alter its licence by Councillors at a meeting on Thursday.

The changes will allow the venue to host outdoor concerts and serve alcohol from a new outside bar.

The pub has previously hosted similar events using temporary event notices – but venues are only allowed to apply for a limited number of such notices each year.

The licence was granted at a meeting of Bradford Council’s Licensing Panel. 

Environmental Health had objected to the licence change – with officers saying they had received noise complaints about the pub in the past.

Officers had objected to a temporary event notice last Summer, an objection that was overruled by a licensing committee. The event went ahead, and officers said they later received a noise complaint related to that event.

The outdoor area at the Ring O Bells (Image: Newsquest)

They said allowing regular outdoor concerts could lead to future noise complaints.

Matthew Fipps, representing the pub’s owners, argued that Environmental Health’s objection to the licence seemed to be based on a single complaint from last August. He added: “We say that is not right. One complaint does not a public nuisance make.

“Environmental Health say there is a risk here. That’s right, there is a risk, but if a risk merited refusal, then the Council would never grant a licence again.”

He pointed out that no neighbours had objected to the planned change to the licence, and that there would realistically only be a dozen or so outdoor events a year.

Neil Winchcombe, Environmental health officer, said for the department to be satisfied that the venue was not causing noise nuisance, it should aim for any noise to be inaudible by people living nearby. He added: “That will be a hard thing to achieve.

“Having a one off event is completely different to permanently relaxing the licence. The potential for nuisance will be very much enhanced.

“At the end of the day, it is Environmental health that picks up the complaints. We’re a very small team, likely to get even smaller, with very few staff.

“We’re trying to nip any potential problems in the bud.”

Referring to the claim it will be difficult to control the noise, Mr Fipps said: “Some things are very difficult. Going to the moon is very difficult, England winning the Euros will be very difficult – but it is possible.

“Saying that just because something is difficult we shouldn’t even try is wrong.”

He pointed out that if noise complaints were received, the licence could be reviewed.

The panel agreed to grant the new licence.