Classification: OFFICIAL Dear Peter, 1. - Chiltern District · Classification: OFFICIAL Classification: OFFICIAL 1. Dear Peter, I am writing to you in response to the letter posted

Classification: OFFICIAL


1.Dear Peter,

I am writing to you in response to the letter posted through my door re The Red Lion Pub putting in an application to change their licensed hours.

My house is directly opposite the pub, situated down an open entrance, so I have serious concerns if the opening hours of the pub are extended. As it stands, we experience noise and disruption with the current opening hours, and I fear that this would only escalate if customers are allowed even longer to drink.

We can actually hear the microphone of the DJ from inside our lounge on 'DJ' nights, which whilst I respect we knowingly purchased a house in close proximity to a pub, we did not expect a pub in a residential area like Chesham Old Town to have such events on. Whilst we are tolerant of this currently, if this continued past 11pm I would be unhappy in my own home.

In the past I have had to call the police, as customers get picked up from the dead end of Germain street instead of the pub car park, and often hang around playing music in their cars - if this went on much later I would be very concerned.

I do also believe this would affect the value of my house - a normal pub would not - but a rowdy live music venue that seemingly wants to fashion itself into a night club would not attract respectable buyers should we wish to sell in future.

I am glad that you share our concerns, and fully support you in stopping this application from being passed.

I would be grateful of any updates should you have any.

Yours faithfully, Donna Couch & Matthew Foster3 Lancaster House, Germain Street, Chesham HP51LH

2. 3 Townbridge Court CheshamHP51LN

I would like to oppose the application [license 15/00841/LAPRE for an extension to permit music until 1am Thursday-Saturday. The reason is that not only can the residents of Townbridge Court hear the loud music but there is noisy disturbance when customers leave at the late hour. for example cans thrown over the fence, people banging on our windows, cars starting up and sometimes loud singing. So i trust the council will not grant the extension

W.J.Davidson



3. Peter,

With regard to the Red Lion both Heather and I would oppose any extension in licensing hours from 11 pm to 1 am.

As you are fully aware we live oppose the Red Lion and can now tolerate any noise so produced until 11 pm.If this was extended to 1 am life for us would be intolerable.

I say this as now in colder times of the year with windows closed the sound produced in the Red Lion percolates even these closed windows

In the summertime with windows open things would be totally unbearable and any chance of sleeping would be hopeless.

So for this reason alone we would object to vary their licensed trading hours.

We are also opposite their car park and the coming and going of motor vehicles would create a noise i.e.the slamming of car doors and the loud conversation of merry customers leaving the premises especially at 1 am in the morning!!!

Regards

Christopher and Heather Boulter18a Red Lion StreetCheshamBucksHP5 1EZ

4. Dear Mr. Hudson,

I am writing to you to express my concern over the application by the Red Lion public house on the corner of Germain Street and Red Lion Street in Chesham to extend their licensing hours to permit live music and recorded music until 1am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (application reference number: 15/00841/LAPRE).

As a resident of Germain Street (house number 20), I am concerned that this change to the pub's licensing hours will cause unacceptable levels of noise late at night, both from the music itself and from customers leaving at 1am, along with the very real potential for an increase in anti-social behavior. In the past, when the pub was granted temporary extensions for music, there were problems of this sort and I can see no reason why this shouldn't be a regular occurrence, if a permanent extension were to be granted. In addition, there is a sizable proportion of elderly people in the retirement/sheltered accommodation at Townbridge Court on Germain Street, and I am concerned about the impact that this proposed change in licensing hours will have on them.

As a professional musician who makes his living from playing live music in pubs every weekend, I have first hand experience of the need for pubs to be considerate to their neighbours in residential areas. The vast majority of public houses that I perform in have a cut off point of 11pm, when live



music needs to stop. I firmly believe that Germain Street is such an area and therefore an extension of trading hours until 1am three nights a week for live or recorded music is, at best, entirely inappropriate and, at worst, highly irresponsible.

For the reasons that I've outlined above, I would ask that you present this e-mail to the relevant authority and convey my strong opposition to the granting of this application.

Yours faithfully,Paul King20 Germain StreetCheshamBucksHP5 1LH

5.Dear Cllr. Hudson,

We are writing to you regarding the above application. We are entirely opposed to the variation to the license at the Red Lion Public House.

As residents of Forelands Way, we already feel the impact of anti-social behaviour from members of the public who use the alleyway behind our house. There have been many fights and shouting/screaming late at night which have resulted in us phoning the police and we consider alcohol a major contributing factor. There has also been damage caused to the back fences of our neighbours properties and items thrown at our windows. We know that an extension to the licence will only encourage further trouble and we are really concerned about the safety of the area; not just for ourselves but for our elderly neighbours and the young families who are members of our quiet cul-de-sac.

Forelands Way is one of the nearest residential streets to the Red Lion PH and also hosts an entrance to the alleyway which runs behind our homes to Waterside Estate and the Train Station/town centre. I worry that our location will encourage more people to use the street and we will see more antisocial behaviour to both the front and back of our home. My partner and I both work fulltime and have to be on our way to work by 6am most mornings, which is hard as it is, without the extra impact of disruptions by other people’s noise and behaviour; leaving us with a sense of fear.

We would be grateful if you could represent our views to the authority, and truly hope that this is taken into consideration.

Yours sincerely,Lucy Coddington and Simon GodfreyResidents of 10 Forelands Way, Chesham



6. Dear Peter

We write to express our deep concern, upset and worry about the proposal to change the licensing hours for the Red Lion pub on the corner of Germain Street and Red Lion Street. We live at 22 Germain Street, which is nearby the pub, and recognise that the landlord wishes to maximise the potential of his business.

However, we feel very strongly that this application is completely inappropriate as this pub is essentially at the heart of a residential area. Not only do you have us and other residents of Germain Street, there are the recently opened flats opposite the pub. However, of more concern, is the sheltered accommodation flats and maisonettes opposite us in Town Bridge Court. This is a retirement property that is home to vulnerable elderly people who decided to move here to be close to the town centre and its amenities. We are very worried about the effect of such a proposed change for them. Moreover, although we are currently not parents, we would like to start a family - the inevitable noise and disruption could force us to move from our home in order to bring them up in a more peaceful area. We are also concerned about a potential knock-on effect to the value of our house, if this change were passed.

We have lived here for five years and have experienced anti-social behaviour as a result of increased licensing hours for one-off events. For example, in the summer, we have to sleep with our bedroom window open which is at the front of the house, and faces on to Germain Street. We have heard many fights, the use of disgusting and inappropriate language and, on at least one occasion, the police were called. After these types of incidents, the aftermath included broken glass and debris on the road and pavement. We have not complained before because these incidents are few and far between. However, the proposed amendments would change this - the Red Lion would become the only pub in Chesham with such extended licensing hours, thereby attracting anyone who wished to carry on drinking on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday and potentially causing an increase in the type of antisocial behaviour that we are already party to when the pub has a late licence.

Thirdly, we bought our house knowing we live near to a pub and were content to live here on the understanding that their current trading hours stood. We have grave concerns about our quality of life, should this licence be granted. We think Chesham is a great place to live and would like to keep it so. We’re so happy with its resurgence in recent years, especially in Market Place. We think that this proposal is a retrograde step and could cause damage to the whole reputation of Chesham.

Fourthly, the licence application is for three nights, namely Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Both of us work full time and commute into London, getting up at 6am every day. For us, a Friday is a full working day. If this licence is granted and the pub opens late on a Thursday, it could disrupt our sleep and have a detrimental effect on our ability to work, as well as the additional stress to our lives that we’ve outlined above.

Finally, we’re really disappointed that the plans to extend the licence appear to have had little airing locally and that we only were made aware through the diligence of our local councillors - for which are extremely grateful. It is not a neighbourly way for the landlord to behave if he wishes to be a truly good neighbour and is a worrying indication of his lack of concern for those who live nearby. It makes us even more concerned about what the future might hold with this landlord and pub.



We hope that this fully explains our objection to the application. We are more than happy to come to talk to anyone about it in person as we are incredibly upset and worried by the potential change of licensing hours.

Please do let us know if you have any questions about the above and we await the response to the application.

With best wishes

Hannah and Chris Marsh22 Germain StreetChesham HP5 1LH

7.Dear Councillor Hudson, Thank you for bringing to residents' attention the proposed variation to the licensed trading hours of the above premises. I wish to object to this application in the strongest possible terms. This public house is in a residential area. Many of the residents are elderly, particularly in Town Bridge Court, Germain Street, opposite the premises. The have been numerous incidents at this pub in the past, involving rowdy and drunken behaviour in the street outside, particularly at closing-time. It is quite unreasonable to expect residents to tolerate loud music, recorded or live, until 1 o'clock in the morning; particularly during the summer months when many choose to sleep with their windows open. Also, many people, myself included, need to up early for work every Friday and some Saturday and Sunday mornings. I therefore urge Chiltern District Council to reject this application. With kind regards,Yours sincerely,Michael Parkhouse25 King StreetCheshamBuckinghamshire HP5 1LZ07840 11591101494 794441

8.Hi Peter,

As you may know there have been many problems with extended licensing hours for this facility.



There are 33 senior housing flats across the road on Townfield HP5 1HE and Townbridge Court, HP5 1LN, which is also senior accommodation. (At the time of writing I have not been able to ascertain the number of flats at Townbridge Court). These flats are always impacted by noise at the Red Lion Public House.

Here is what has happens in general and in the past. Last Saturday, 9th May, was a classic example. The licensing hours end at 11.00 pm although it takes a while for the music to stop and the loud singing to wind down.... Then those leaving hang about and get a bit rowdy in the streets and sing and yell some more. There is often loitering and around the Market square and up East Street for sometime thereafter. It is not uncommon for there to be disturbances where the police are called. We tolerate much of this at the moment knowing eventually dissipates hopefully by midnight.

When the licensing hours are extended to 1.00 am. this whole process becomes ten times worse. The music gets louder and louder, these hours attract more people often standing outside drinking and the arguments and fights get worse. There is increased involvement with Police and with the Environmental Health department.

It just doesn't work for this location. Maybe they need to go for more Pub quizzes. However, longer hours is not viable for at this location and is not the answer for good relations with the man senior neighbours in the environs of this Pub who have a right to quiet enjoyment of their homes.

I am grateful for the opportunity of my point of view being considered and strongly object to the extension of these licensing hours.

Kind regards,Sandra McBride6 TownfieldCheshamHP5 1HE

9.Dear Cllr Hudson

I am writing to express my concern for the application to vary the licensed trading hours and to permit live and recorded music until 1.00am on Thursday-Saturday at the Red Lion. This appears to be excessive, and is likely to attract trouble and unruly behaviour.

The pub is in the midst of a residential area - there will be a sharp impact in the volume of noise, which will not be acceptable to local residents, and there is great potential for an increase in anti-social behaviour, both leading up to 1.00am and as customers leave the premises. There have been previous problems at the Red Lion when temporary extensions for music have been given, and I would not wish to see history repeat itself.

I sincerely hope that the variation to the license will not be granted, and I would be grateful if you would represent my views.



With many thanks,Hilary Richardson 20 Wey Lane, Chesham, HP5 1JH

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Classification: OFFICIAL Dear Peter, 1. - Chiltern District · Classification: OFFICIAL Classification: OFFICIAL 1. Dear Peter, I am writing to you in response to the letter posted