Marston’s Plc seeks to extend outdoor areas at The Manor House, sparking local objections
Tunbridge Wells: So, there’s this pub giant, Marston’s Plc, that wants to expand the outdoor area at The Manor House. They’ve put in a request to the local council to change their license.
The Manor House, which used to be Pitcher and Piano, is right in the town center on Church Road. Marston’s plans to take over some parking spaces to make the back lounge area bigger.
But here’s where it gets a bit sticky. They also want to extend the front area to include the forecourt, right up to the pavement. Plus, they want to ditch the rule that says the front area has to close at 11 PM. This has raised some eyebrows, especially from the council’s environmental health team.
They held a consultation that wrapped up on December 2, and there were three objections. The council’s licensing committee will decide on this on January 15, and they can either approve it, reject it, or approve parts of it.
The environmental protection team is worried about noise. They pointed out that the area is mostly residential, and having outdoor drinking until the early hours could disturb people living nearby.
One resident even mentioned that the current outdoor space already causes noise issues, especially during summer when windows are open. They’re concerned that expanding the area will only make things worse.
Another local echoed those worries, saying that more outdoor space could lead to more noise and litter. They’re not too keen on the idea of a bigger crowd hanging around outside.
If you want to check out the details of the license application, you can find all the papers related to it on the council’s website.
