Cricket club granted extended opening hours
A popular community cricket club in Walsall said extending its bar’s booze licence was “critical” to its very existence.
Pelsall Cricket and Sports Club has been granted permission to be able to serve alcohol for an extra half an hour until midnight for seven days a week.
The club also said it plans to hold a small number of outdoor events to take place on the cricket pitch throughout the year.
Two neighbours had lodged objections to the planned change citing concerns about increased noise pollution and traffic issues on the busy Walsall Road.
But members of Walsall Council’s licensing sub committee said while they were ‘alive’ to the concerns, they felt it would be unreasonable and disproportionate to impose restrictions on the club and granted the new licence.
Club secretary David Barton told Monday’s hearing: “It is critical for us just for the sake of being in existence.
“Without it we will just see a gradual decline but with it we think we can generate a revenue to put back into the coffers to make a difference.
“We are family and neighbourhood orientated. We’ve got a good working relationship with all the agencies.
“We’ve got things in place with our committee who do monitoring of the events, security teams, caterers – it is a successful club but we fear without this added time, we may struggle.”
Neighbour William Humphries said when doors were left open with music blasting out and people congregating outside, the noise was “deafening”.
He said: “I’ve got no concerns over the police coming to the premises or anything like that. It’s not that kind of place.
“We’ve not complained to the council before because it is our neighbour. You have to tolerate the things that are around you.
“If you move next to a farm there is going to be the sound of animals and the smells so if you’re next to a club there is going to be some noise. You’ve got to be reasonable.
“I support the club, I want it to succeed but not at our expense. If something can be done about those doors so people aren’t standing there talking and music coming out.”
