Three month licence for Derry pub Rosie Joe’s as noise management plan discussed

The license comes with a number of conditions, including restricted entertainment hours of 11.30am – 11.00pm from Monday to Thursday and Sunday, excluding Bank Holidays, as well as specific hours for Friday and Saturday ( 11.30am to 2.00am).

Additionally, the venue must provide a noise management plan, including management of the beer garden, install a lobby at the upper emergency doors, install a noise-limiting device, and provide acoustic glazing.

The committee heard that the council’s Environmental Health Department has investigated noise complaints related to Rosie Joe’s and officers from the Environment and Neighbourhoods Team have been responding to noise complaints concerning both entertainment and patron noise from Rosie Joe’s.

Speaking on behalf of the applicant, Mr. Alan Stewart, King’s Counsel, said: “There have been some noise complaints and there is a noise abatement notice dated May 26, 2022, which currently, as I understand it, is with the council.”

He added that the noise issues stem from a ground floor door and noise associated with the beer garden. Referring to a report from noise consultant Martin Granger, which proposed structural work on the upper emergency doors, he said: “In particular, he has proposed that some structural works or some building works would be carried out to the upper emergency doors on the ground floor to try and prevent the breakout of noise, the precise specifications that are set out within Mr Granger’s report. Essentially, if the works are carried out in accordance with Mr Granger’s report, then the sound levels should be negligible.”

Referring to the options the committee have when determining the application Mr. Stewart suggested that the committee could grant the application with certain conditions, including a limited period of time for the license and restricted operating hours during the week.

He added that once works had been completed and the committee was satisfied the noise was limited as a result, it was proposed the applicant could at that stage apply for the usual one year entertainment licence.

“Of course there would be monitoring by the department throughout that period of time and if if it is shown that the works have been conducted in accordance with the proposals and if it has shown that that has had an effective consequence of limiting the noise and reducing any reasonable complaints then the proposal would be that at the end of whatever shorter period of time the committee deemed reasonable, the applicant could then bring an application effectively for a full grant of the entertainment licence for the normal period of one year. “

Following a discussion by committee members ‘in confidential’ the decision was made to grant the licence with conditions for a period of three months.

Gillian Anderson

Local Democracy Reporter