A Chorley pub landlord has been told that he can keep the raised outdoor decking area installed to accommodate customers at the height of the pandemic – in spite of objections from neighbours that it causes “unbearable” noise.

Euxton Mills Hotel, on Chorley Road, created the canopy-covered facility in a corner of its car park when lockdown-era restrictions meant that an outdoor seating area was required.

However, the hostelry will no longer be able to use the space for live or recorded music after getting the nod to make it a permanent feature from Chorley Council’s planning committee.

The pub’s landlord, Paul Bowker, told committee members that he had been advised by the builder who erected the decking that it did not require planning permission because it was so small.

His application to the authority for retrospective approval, however, generated half a dozen objections from locals who claimed that the noise emanating from the area was sometimes so bad that they had been “forced to leave their homes” – and that “loud, incessant music” was causing nearby properties “to vibrate”.

The nearest dwellings to the decking are a row of terrace homes, fewer than five metres away.

Mr. Bowker said he had been “quite surprised” by the representations that had been made to the authority about the operation of the area.

“We’ve used it on six occasions for live music, never past 9 o’clock in the evening, and now we’ve gone to 7 o’clock – and it’s only for special events such as the King’s coronation.

“But the main function is for people to go outside and drink and eat on it – and I have been closing it at 10 o’clock in the evening out of respect for neighbours.

“There are no speakers there anymore – I took them down once I got the first complaint nearly two years ago.   It’s just a decking area [where] people have a few drinks and a bite to eat – nothing major,” Mr. Bowker added.

Committee members gave the structure their unanimous approval, with Cllr Danny Gee saying that he could not “see a problem with it”.

He added:  “It’s well-maintained [and] well kept.   This is a community pub, it’s had its problems with Covid, the same as [others] – we’ve had pubs shut down in Euxton.”

Cllr Craige Southern told the meeting that, notwithstanding the strength of the neighbour objections, he had been told that locals were “quite happy with it” – provided the conditions stipulated by the council were adhered to.  As well as a ban on entertainment, those restrictions included limiting the hours that the decking area can be used to between 8am and 10pm.

Planning case officer Mike Halsall that the “semi-solid” rear elevation of the facility actually improved the privacy of nearby households.

He added:  “[We] must be mindful that the public house is well-established and can be seen on historic mapping from the late 19th century – before surrounding dwellings existed.

“The use of the car park for congregation and drinking took place prior to the erection of the covered decking area and would not in itself require planning [permission]. It is not considered that the…decking area would notably increase [the] impact on residential amenity over and above the previous situation, subject to its use being restricted [as per the conditions].

“Should the council receive complaints of noise from the decking area [or] other areas, there are alternative mechanisms and legislation under which this can be investigated and potentially controlled,” Mr. Halsall explained.