Residents Rally Against Late-Night Pub Plans

Neighbours are fighting a bid to extend late-night food and drink at The Water Tower in Tilehurst after a recent makeover.

The pub sits by the Water Tower landmark in Park Lane. Earlier this year Greene King switched the site from a managed Flaming Grill family restaurant to a franchised Hive pub, now run as a franchise rather than directly by the brewery.

Reading Borough Council received an application to sell alcohol until midnight and serve food until 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays. Four neighbours objected, citing noise and extra activity after improvements to the outdoor area.

Mary Elizabeth Jane said: "I am a local resident who backs onto the pub's car park. Extending alcohol sales until midnight and serving food until 12.30 will severely add to public nuisance late night early morning."

"My bedroom faces the car park, and I already suffer from lack of sleep from slamming car doors and shouting loud goodbyes."

"The recent changes have increased light pollution. One of the external lights shines directly into my bedroom and a second will do the same when leaves from the nearby tree fall."

Greene King won permission for outdoor-area improvements which reduced parking spaces from 30 to 26.

Nicky Brunsdon said: "The extended hours will have a significant negative impact on the surrounding area, including noise disturbance late at night affecting residents' ability to sleep, an increase in anti-social behaviour such as shouting, littering and public intoxication."

Yvyonne Hayward said: "The pub is already failing to control noise levels. There are currently two active noise complaints regarding loud voices from this venue being investigated by the council. Extending the hours will only worsen an unresolved, ongoing issue."

Mary Field added: "Clients will not be leaving the pub until early hours, they will obviously be talking and opening and shutting car doors, which obviously disturbs sleep patterns. This should not have to be tolerated in such a close residential area. I have lived in this house since July 1975. Since being owned by Greene King, it is not the best-run pub."

Because of the objections, the later hours bid will be decided by the council's licensing applications sub-committee on September 2.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter