The Licensing Act Sub-Committee of Shropshire Council met on Wednesday 21 October 2026 and elected Councillor Mark Owen as Chair for the duration of the meeting. The committee also considered an application for the review of a premises licence for The Greenhouse, located at 52 High Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4DX, and resolved to add additional conditions to its licence.

Review of Premises Licence for The Greenhouse

The committee considered an application for the review of the premises licence for The Greenhouse, 52 High Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4DX, following complaints about noise from the premises' outside garden area. The application was made by Environmental Protection, citing that operations at the premises undermined the licensing objective of the prevention of public nuisance.

Representations were received from West Mercia Police and four members of the public, all supporting the review. The report detailed numerous complaints regarding loud live and recorded music from outdoor events, particularly during the summer months of 2026. Residents reported that the noise, including amplified music and heavy bass, was intrusive, vibrated through their homes, and prevented them from enjoying their own properties. Specific events mentioned included El Casa parties, tribute acts for Robbie Williams and UB40, and DJ events.

Environmental Protection officers had undertaken noise monitoring and served a Section 80 Noise Abatement Notice on the premises' licence holder, Cocktail Club Ltd, due to the intrusive and impactful nature of the music. This notice had been appealed to the Magistrates' Court and was therefore suspended at the time of the meeting. The report also noted that the premises had previously had a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) for recorded music in the outside garden refused by the Licensing Sub-Committee on 27 August 2026, which led to a counter notice being issued.

The report highlighted that due to deregulatory changes, live music performances between 08:00 and 23:00 in premises authorised to sell alcohol were no longer subject to licensing authority permission. The Environmental Protection Officer requested that the sub-committee consider dis-applying the Live Music Act 2012 in this instance to allow for appropriate controls to be applied to the premises licence regarding live and recorded music in the outside area.

The Environmental Protection Officer suggested several conditions to be added to the licence to prevent public nuisance. These included limiting amplified music events in the external space to a maximum of six per annum, with a clear gap of at least 20 days between such events. Non-amplified music events were also suggested to be limited to six per annum. Conditions were proposed that amplified musical entertainment in the external space should not start before 18:00 and must cease by 22:00. Furthermore, residents of Tudor Court were to be informed in writing 14 days prior to any planned event, and loudspeakers used for musical events in the outside area should be positioned to point away from the properties on Tudor Court. The officer deliberately avoided setting a decibel limit, explaining that it would be resource-intensive and potentially unviable for amplified events.

The Licensing Act Sub-Committee resolved to add additional conditions to the premises licence for The Greenhouse. These conditions aimed to address the concerns raised regarding public nuisance, specifically by limiting the number and timing of amplified music events in the external space and ensuring residents are informed of planned events.

Election of Chairman

Councillor Mark Owen was elected as the Chair of the Licensing Act Sub-Committee for the duration of the meeting.

Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

Members of the committee were reminded of their obligation to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests. No interests were declared during the meeting.