Merthyr Tydfil pub granted licence

A pub in Merthyr Tydfil has had a licence granted by the council’s licensing committee.

The Taffy on Bethesda Street applied for new premises licence which was considered at a Merthyr Tydfil Council statutory licensing committee on Wednesday, July 28 and the decision was to grant the licence.

During the consultation period  an objection was received, therefore the application was brought before the licensing sub-committee for a decision.

The application asked for permission for the supply of alcohol on the premises only, opening hours and indoor recorded music from 11am to 11pm from Monday to Sunday.

The applicant said in the application that they intend to use it as a normal public house and only on the ground floor and that they have got 20 years experience of running pubs and clubs.

But an email of representation was received from a local resident who objected to the licence application.

It said their objection related to the licensing objective of the prevention of public nuisance.

The email added that neighbouring gardens could be accessed from the premises and, although the beer garden has been withdrawn from the application,  if the intention is to allow the side area to be used as a smoking area the objector asked if they would be able to control the behaviour of customers and guarantee the privacy and safety of residents and their properties.

The email said they have had issues in the past with this and that it made their gardens unusable and it asked if this can be prevented as they are concerned their properties will be targeted.

It also said the front pavement has been used as a smoking area for drunken customers in the past and that it is “very unsettling and intimidating” to have to walk in a busy road to avoid groups of drunken patrons.

Representations were received from South Wales Police and trading standards, who both requested that certain conditions be added to the premises licence.

The applicant amended the application to place all conditions requested by South Wales Police and trading standards on the licence and so neither body had any objections on this basis.

The smoking shelter proposals included in the application will see no customers being permitted out the front of the premises to smoke and this has already been agreed with South Wales Police.

A  smoking shelter will be erected in a specific area and the designated smoking area will be in the smoking shelter only.

The maximum number of customers in the smoking shelter will be four and signs will be displayed on the front and rear doors regarding the designated smoking area with this already having been agreed with the police.

There will also be CCTV coverage of the enclosed external area, which will include the smoking shelter.

In terms of the concern that smoking at the front of the premises had previously caused neighbours to walk onto the road to avoid customers, the committee decision said this was addressed by the condition that there shall be no smoking on the pavement in front of the premises.

The decision also said that evidence of public nuisance was linked to previous licensees at the premises when the side area of the premises was used as a beer garden.

The committee considered this representation but were satisfied that the premises would not conflict with this licensing principle providing the
licensee adhered to the conditions attached to the licence.

They were also reassured by the applicant’s confirmation that a fence had been built on the boundary of the smoking area which would stop people migrating into the “old beer garden area.”

The applicant Shirley Hier told the committee she can only do her best to keep the neighbours safe.

She said she has blocked off the side entrance and she wouldn’t allow people to smoke out the front because she doesn’t believe people should be out there for their own safety as well.