A bar in Ulverston has had its permitted opening hours slashed following deliberation by the district council’s planning committee.
Retrospective permission was being sought by Kirsty Mackenzie to turn an industrial unit on Lightburn Trading Estate into a tap bar and to use next-door industrial units for a microbrewery and for storage and distribution.
But councillors only voted the proposition through on the condition that the Lakeland Brewhouse Tap closed at 5pm.
The plan had been for the bar to close at 10.30pm between Wednesday and Saturday and at 7pm on Sunday. Earlier this year, permission was given for the sale of alcohol seven days a week between the hours of 11am and 11pm at the site.
There was much discussion at the planning committee meeting on Thursday about the exact nature of the proposal. One objector said: “This is a pub. A tap bar doesn’t have outside seating. It doesn’t have as much inside seating as this.
“With this being a pub, which it is, it creates rowdiness and anti-social behaviour locally. If this is granted, then [opening hours of] 11 to five would make more sense.” Another said: “The bar opening times are at odds with the brewery opening hours.”
Cllr Janette Jenkinson, who represents Ulverston West, spoke in opposition to the proposal in the form in which it was presented.
She described the industrial estate location as ‘unsuitable’ and said: “I also think members need to take a long, long look at the suggested opening hours of a tap bar.”
Cllr Michael Cornah put forward an amendment that stipulated the bar would need to close at 5pm. Cllr Malcolm Lamb echoed the view that the proposition was for a pub and not a tap bar.
“The hours are limited slightly, but I wouldn’t say they were that limited,” he said. 10.30pm is not reduced hours in my mind.
“If the application had been for a pub in this area, without the brewing casks next door, then I’m assuming this would never have been approved.”
A biodiversity net gain assessment is also to be carried out at the site after concerns were raised by Cllr Giles Archibald.
