‘Thriving’ music pub faces opposition over outdoor performance plans

Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

A pub with a “thriving” music scene has applied to have outdoor performances – but faces opposition from residents complaining about noise.

The Blue Bell pub has applied to Conwy County Council’s licensing department, seeking permission to play live music in its beer garden, following “mediation” with the authority’s environmental health department.

The matter is set to be discussed at a licensing meeting next week. If approved, the new licence would allow the pub on Castle Street to hold “live music events capped at 15 per year in the garden”.

The events would have an “external finish time of 8pm” unless additional conditions are approved by the council – or the pub successfully applies for a “Temporary Events Notice”.

The pub says the garden “will have a dedicated security personnel at weekends” on Friday and Saturday and for all live events.

According to the application, if approved, the garden bar will be closed no later than 11pm to “encourage quiet exit”.

The pub says all speakers would be turned off “no later than 11pm” with the volume being monitored and events coming to a “complete stop no later than 11pm”.

The pub currently has a licence to open 11am – midnight, or 11.30pm on Sundays, and has music on inside. But whilst musicians are in support of the licence change, some residents have written to the authority to raise objections.

Miss Angharad Jones lives adjacent to the pub and instructed Richard Buxton Solicitors to write to the council in objection. The letter reads: “As your council environmental health and legal departments are aware, she has had cause for complaint about noise and particularly music from the Blue Bell over several years.

“The music is supposed to be contained within the premises, but there is frequently noise played in the garden, in breach of the licence, when not licensed, or if so we understand on a temporary basis, or is audible if the doors are open.

“By ‘audible’ we do not mean that it is simply capable of being heard, but we are instructed it goes on for so long, so loud, and, depending on the source, so repetitive as to be a legal nuisance. No one should be expected to put up with it.”

The letter added: “We understand that the site is subject to a current noise investigation by your environmental health colleagues; this seems to be taking a long time but, in any event, our client advises that conditions were such that it was not possible to use her garden during the summer of 2025.”

Anti-social behaviour 

Thomas Stock also wrote to the council. “I am a local resident on Castle Street, Conwy, and we continue to have ongoing issues with anti-social behaviour from the Blue Bell, Conwy,” he wrote. “I would appreciate any variation to outdoor entertainment be stopped and residents taken into account please.”

He added: “Police are attending this premises every week. To allow these to have a licence, let alone extend it to the outside, is totally wrong.” But musician Katie Hall wrote a letter to the council backing the pub.

“Since the new owners have taken over the pub, they have put so much work into making it a thriving business and a real hub for music and for the local community,” she said. “We are local musicians who perform at the venue on a monthly basis and are obviously grateful for the opportunity this gives ourselves and other local musicians to perform at a venue that cares about us and their customers.”

She added: “They always have more than adequate security to ensure a safe environment for everyone in attendance including their staff and performers. They are always considerate of noise and we do thorough sound checking to ensure the noise levels are appropriate”

Steve Crocker of the band “Bushman Deli” also wrote a letter of support for the pub. “We were delighted to see its support of the thriving music scene continue when the new landlords Sonia and Gary Cadwell took on the business in 2024.” He added: “The pub has really continued to thrive under their management.”

Nigel Lovatt also wrote in favour of the pub insisting “local bands and musicians would be extremely disappointed if the live music came to an end”. The sub-committee can grant, modify, or reject the application.

The licensing sub-committee meeting takes place at Conwy County Council’s Coed Pella HQ on Tuesday, 21 April.