Popular Walton-le-Dale pub & restaurant seeks permission for external bar, 'party cabins' & 'alpine lodge'

Bosses at the Hunters in Hennel Lane, Lostock Hall, have made a retrospective planning application to South Ribble Borough Council for permission to use an external bar area with pergola, alpine lodge covered dining area, garden club room, eight timber party cabins, and siting of TV's and speakers.

The facilities, which cover an area of 604.70 sqm, have been in place since September 2022 and are highly-rated on Tripadvisor and Google Reviews with patrons commenting on the “great atmosphere” and saying: “The party cabins allowed a warm fun and intimate experience”.

The venue does have a licensed for live and recording music both internally and in the external area. Bosses want permission to use the external beer garden TVs and music systems until 9.30pm - 10pm throughout the year except New Years Eve, when they willrun until between 12:30am and 1pm 2. They also propose that the external cabins will be cladded in acoustic paneling.

Noise

In 2023, the pub received complaints from a local resident regarding music noise levels in the outdoor seating area, and although the complaints have not been substantiated, the pub commissioned a noise assessment by Philip Dunbavin Acoustics Ltd. The report has been submitted to SRBC.

It claims that the primary noise source associated with the pub was due to patrons conversing in the external seating area however, this was found to be at a “low absolute level and dropped off significantly after 10pm once the external area was closed.” It added: “Occasion music is faintly audible at the boundary with Hennel Lane however, no significant low frequency component was observed. Audibility alone is not necessarily an indication of adverse impact. Our assessment indicates that music noise is not at a level which would significantly affect the acoustic character of the area such that there is perceived change in quality of life.”

During periods when live music was identifiable it was at a ‘low absolute level’ and when comparison was made to the residual noise climate (i.e. without contributions from the pub) no notable increase was observed. The report states that live music is infrequent, “typically only occurring during weekends and not encroaching into the more sensitive night-time hours when sleep disturbance is of concern”, and it was concluded that the noise impact associated with the site is low.

A decision on planning permisison will be made in coming weeks by South Ribble Borough Council.