Suffolk pub petitions to save at-risk live music scene

The council has been investigating noise complaints from neighbours of the Rampant Horse in Needham Market, near Ipswich.

The 16th century pub risks not being allowed to play music outdoors, which it says would put an end to its lively outside music events.

Pub manager Alison Wyartt said: “We had 30 events in 365 days this year. We held around double that last year and there was a complaint, so I bought a noise monitor and this year we cut the number of events and noise levels down and made sure it never went past 11pm.

Alison Wyatt is the landlady of The Rampant Horse Pub (Image: Alison Wyatt)

“We have still had complaints. We had a complaint about people chanting on their way to football, which I can’t do anything about.

“It seems like there’s no compromise. We have compromised but they want it stopped completely.

“It’s just for a couple of hours and it is such a lovely atmosphere when we have music outdoors.

“The Needham Market community is passionate about this. We’ve had nearly 1,400 signatures on the online petition, and we’ve had so many people coming in asking to sign the paper one.

“We can do music inside, but we don’t have the same amount of room."

The music events are always packed at the pub (Image: Alison Wyartt)

A Mid Suffolk District Council spokesperson said: “We are always keen to support pubs in our district and want everyone to be able to enjoy themselves. However, we must balance supporting our businesses, with the needs and welfare of our residents.

“This includes our legal duty to investigate and, where necessary, act on noise complaints, to prevent a nuisance for residents.

“We will always try to offer advice and support to find ways for local pubs and their neighbours to find an acceptable solution in these cases. But, where this is unsuccessful, we have no option but to request a review of the premises’ licence by our licensing committee.

“The committee will be asked to review The Rampant Horse’s licence and consider reinstating the condition included in their existing licence that prohibits outdoor music, which the pub was able to self-suspend following the Government’s deregulation of outdoor music in 2012. There is no issue at this current time with music being played or performed inside the pub.

“We recognise there is strength of feeling on both sides of this case, and we urge everyone to have their say as part of the 28-day public consultation that will take place ahead of the committee making its decision.”