A PUBLIC HOUSE in Abbots Langley was fined £2,000 for noise pollution but, according to local residents, it has not stopped the music.

This is the fourth time in three years The Kings Head in High Street has been fined by the courts. Former publican Barry Goddard was fined £400 and then £800 after repeated complaints by residents in St Lawrence Close. His successor, Mr John Moir, was fined £1,000.

The pub's current landlord, Mr Ken Carpenter, runs the business with Mr Mike Freeman, who was also an associate of Mr Moir.

Mr Carpenter received two prior warnings from Three Rivers District Council regarding the noise and was fined £2,000 plus £350 costs after pleading guilty on Wednesday, October 10.

He said: "I thought the fine was really high. I wasn't expecting that. We are not there to make people's lives a misery. We are just there to make a living."

Mr Freeman believes that elements within the district council would like to see the pub closed down. He argues that the business was a victim of one of the hottest days of the year, when a customer left the door open, enabling neighbours who had their windows open at the time to hear the music. They will now have to pay solicitor's costs of about £1,000 for, they claim, trying to make a success of the business.

Mr Freeman said: "The whole thing to us is absolutely appalling. We have tried so hard to please everyone in the village. When we came here the pub was through the floor. After two years' hard work and a great deal of money spent the pub's as nice any you could go in in the area."

According to Mr Freeman, the business will not survive without the music. He hopes that installing a new air conditioning system will solve the problem. However, just two days after being fined, the pub was the subject of complaints again.

A spokesman for the district council said: "It would appear that the current licensee perhaps hasn't taken the proceedings of the previous Wednesday seriously.

"We have now instructed our call centre if they should receive any further complaints at any time of the working day of The Kings Head pub in the High Street, that complaint will pass directly to our duty officer.

"She will be immediately contacted for investigation because of the history of this property."

He added: "We are not out to penalise businesses but the council has a duty to protect residents. We always try to resolve such issues with discussion before resorting to the courts."

One local resident, who has lived in area for more than 30 years, believes that such fines will not resolve the noise issue.

The resident, who asked not be named, said: "I don't think the fine has done any good. They have been fined before. We have virtually given up now. They got fined last Wednesday and by Thursday all the noise was going again. It's been just as loud since they got summoned last week. I just think it's fruitless of the district council trying. I don't think they are ever going to stop it."

According to local councillor David Major part of the problem is that, when the pub changes hands, the slate is "wiped clean", allowing the new landlord to continue the music entertainment.

However, the district council spokesman said: "It would be unfair if the order notice was moved on from one landlord to another because the next landlord could be absolutely scrupulous."

October 16, 2001 20:26

Joanne Davis