Anger over Coventry pub with music so loud neighbours 'can't sleep'

A Coventry pub could lose its licence after its loud music repeatedly kept neighbours awake. People living near The Oak Inn were reportedly so exhausted by lack of sleep they could not do their jobs properly.

After months of complaints, council officers have applied to review the pub's licence. The Gosford Street pub's fate will be decided by councillors at a hearing next week, Monday 16 September.

The application states there has been "persistent" noise nuisance from amplified music inside and outside the pub since December. The incidents took place at times ranging from 11.30am to past 2am.

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Pictures: The Oak Inn on Gosford Street

Neighbours could hear song lyrics in their bedrooms even with the windows closed and "loud bass beats" disturbed their sleep, it said. People complained on eight different occasions about the noise in as many months, most recently in July.

In each case officers visiting the area found the noise was a "statutory nuisance," meaning people are seriously disrupted from their daily activities. The problems continued despite the council's efforts to resolve it, the document added.

Officers tried to give the licencees advice but this was "ignored" and the pub has breached formal noise abatement notices several times, it claimed. The council's environmental protection officer who made the application wrote: "These events have repeatedly happened during the week and weekends even after warnings have been issued.

"As a result, people have been unable to sleep, causing them severe stress and affecting their health. I have had conversations with people affected who have not been able to do their jobs properly because they are so tired."

He said he has "no confidence" in the venue's management and it is likely the issues will continue. He asked councillors to consider revoking the licence or restricting when and where the pub can play music.

Under its current licence the pub can play live and recorded music until 3am - so long as the noise does not cause a nuisance to nearby buildings. Reports said during the consultation on the licence review the pub's premises licence holder changed, though its designated premises supervisor is the same.

The Oak Inn has confirmed its owner is the still the same. Councillors will have five possible courses of action at next week's meeting including changing, suspending or revoking the pub's licence.

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