A plan to extend the opening hours of a 17th century fine dining pub in a North York Moors tourist honeypot has been dealt a major blow after licensing bosses concluded late-night drinkers could disturb neighbouring residents.
After a three-hour hearing to determine the future of Three Tuns Hotel, in Osmotherley, near Northallerton, Hambleton District Council’s licensing panel concluded the sale of alcohol should only be increased by one hour from 10am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and remain from noon to 10.30pm on Sundays.
Licensee Ashley Gavin, whose family also runs the village’s Queen Catherine pub, had applied to extend bar opening times until 1.30am every day, but abandoned an ambition to also see live music continue into the early hours at the grade II listed premises after a wave of protests from residents.
In a statement to the hearing Mr Gavin said while he was committed to enhancing customers experience, he had listened to the concerns of residents about potential noise disturbances from the inn, known locally as The Mousehole because of its size.
However, he said residents’ claims that extending drinking hours would lead to criminals “roaming around the village” and late-night noise were unfounded.
He stated: “As a resident of the village myself, along with my two young children, I strongly feel it s important to listen and work with other residents to enhance our lives and experience of living in such a beautiful location.
“To ensure the success and growth of my business it is paramount that I can achieve my main aim – that the guests have a peaceful, relaxing and comfortable night’s sleep. With such a high percentage of my business turnover driving from accommodation, it would be idiotic to allow disturbances in my establishments.”
However, the hearing was told scores of residents had objected to the extended opening hours alongside claims of bad blood between numerous villagers and Mr Gavin’s family.
Resident and former barrister Giles Pinkney alleged there had been numerous unseemly incidents in the village since the Gavin family moved to Osmotherley in 2017 and there had been no consultation with residents over the plans.
He said: “It is a precedent, in many ways, for what the village fear if not know is going to happen to the Three Tuns. You have had 94 representations from people in the village. There are countless more who would wish to associate themselves with those objections. Many of those people, frankly, are too frightened to say anything.”
Mr Pinkney added the Gavin family were trying to enforce a night economy on the village.
He said: “The very thought that this pub could stay open until 1.30 in the morning every night of the week and not be a public nuisance is frankly incredible to anybody who lives in this village.”
Alongside similar statements from numerous other residents, the Jane Bamber, headteacher of Osmotherley Primary School, told the hearing she believed children’s sleep would be disturbed by the extension, while Osmotherley councillor David Hugill said it would be nearly impossible to soundproof the nearby homes with listed status.
After lengthy consideration, the panel restricted the inn’s bar hours to an hour extra a day, provided it abided by conditions agreed with the police and environmental health officers.
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