Residents prepare court challenge after approval for late-night music at Ilkeston pub

The General Havelock in Stanton Road, Ilkeston. Image from Google.

By Eddie Bisknell – Local Democracy Reporting Service

Residents are preparing a court challenge after late-night music at a Derbyshire pub was approved , despite a firm ban from the owner on “horrific, caterwauling” karaoke.

An Erewash Borough Council licensing hearing on Thursday, April 2nd saw councillors part-approve an application to extend hours for live and recorded music at The General Havelock pub in Stanton Road, Ilkeston.

The venue is already able to serve alcohol until midnight every day of the week, until 12.30am on bank holiday Mondays, 1.30am on bank holiday weekends and 2.30am on New Year’s Eve.

As it stands, all music has to cease at 11pm, with the application seeking to have music fall in line with alcohol serving hours.

Mark Lloyd, the pub’s owner, who took on the venue two-and-a-half years ago, told the hearing he has spent nearly £250,000 on refurbishing and upgrading the pub.

He said the venue currently only has a jukebox to provide music, which customers can use for free, but said this has to be turned off at 11pm, at which point attendees usually leave pretty rapidly.

Objecting residents, four of which submitted opposing letters, said surrounding Victorian and Edwardian homes offered little to no resistance to loud noises and that music echoed around the area easily, with outdoor leisure made non-viable, along with open windows in the summer.

Following the approval of extended music hours, residents confirmed they would be mounting an appeal to the magistrates’ court.

Councillors approved the extension of indoor music to match the current permitted alcohol hours, but curtailed outdoor music to 11.30pm on bank holiday Mondays and 12.30am on bank holiday weekends and New Year’s Eve, with windows and doors to be closed from 11pm onwards on all days of the week.

Chris Taylor, a Stanton Road resident of between 40 and 50 years, told the hearing: “Where The General Havelock is positioned is in a densely populated area with Victorian houses which offer very little resistance to noise.

“Noise bounces off the houses and the sound echoes and amplifies the noise, it also echoes down the alleyway tunnels that run between the houses, which exacerbates it.

“People have families and need to get to work early, this will affect their work because they can’t get sleep.

“With [Donald] Trump making prices worse and everything, we understand running a business is very difficult at the moment and we support the hospitality business, but that should not be at the expense of people’s health.

“Music is different to the sound from the road and traffic, which is more constant.

“The noise from the karaoke is horrific, just caterwauling screamin, it is really, really bad.”

Mr Lloyd, from Ilkeston, who reopened the venue in December 2023, told the hearing: “Karaoke is terrible, I fully agree. That was a decision from the previous owner and we won’t be doing that again. We want to work with our neighbours.

“The previous owner had karaoke outside and that was a very bad idea.

“We have spent nearly a quarter of a million pounds on upgrading the pub including all new double-glazed windows. 

“We want it to be a community pub and we have had good support. It is not our pub, it is owned by the community, by the people who use it.

“We have to turn the music off at 11pm at the moment and it is the same effect as putting your pyjamas on and turning the lights off, everybody leaves.

“We are passionate about the area and we are here for the long haul. 

“I am proud of what we have done with the pub and we have got a lot more to do. We are excited for the future.”

Cllr Dave Snaith, who lives in Ilkeston, said the venue was previously “dark and dingy” and  said “I appreciate what you have done”, but had concerns about outdoor live music.

Mr Lloyd said live music would start at 7.30pm and finish by 9pm, as it already does.

He said: “I take the point about karaoke, that was horrendous and it is not something I am about.”

Cllr Frank Phillips, chairing the meeting, said councillors “acknowledge that a number of residents have raised concerns about noise nuisance and disturbance” but said there had been no objections from the council’s environmental health team or the police.

However, he said due to the close proximity of neighbouring homes, a full grant of permission for the hours applied for risked breaching licensing protections, so a part-grant was approved.

A resident shouted from the public gallery that this was “absolutely disgusting”.

Leigh Fretwell, who lives behind the venue, shouted: “I will be asking about compensation for house prices, because it has not gone up.”

Mr Taylor, following the hearing, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We are very disappointed. This will only lead to more complaints.”

Meanwhile, Mr Lloyd said: “We are very pleased with the result, we understand the changes and we support it.”

Following the hearing, Mr Fretwell began challenging Cllr Phillips and other council staff over the decision in the Long Eaton Town Hall lobby, saying: “One minute past 11pm and I will be calling you. We have small children, families with babies, you don’t have to live there. The police are stretched already.”

Mr Fretwell, who has a six-month-old baby, has lived near the pub for eight years, through three different name changes, saying: “It has not changed for the better overall.

“It is nice to see it back in operation, but the way the business is being run is not good for the area. It is just terrible.”

Asked about an appeal to the magistrates court, he said: “We have got to. We can’t keep haemorrhaging money with our property prices dropping.”