NEIGHBOURS say a new landlord ruined their local boozer who turned it into an “Ibiza-style” dance venue – but they managed to get their revenge.
Residents were furious that the Ruthin Castle pub was transformed into the loud party club with banging music and even a secret door to let extra revellers sneak in.
WNSLocals got their own back on the new landlord who changed their pub into a nightclub[/caption]
It’s in the ancient market town of Ruthin which was named the best place to live in Wales by judges from The Sunday Times.
But licensing chiefs heard it was taken over by a new company – and suffered months of complaints about anti-social behaviour and noise nuisance.
Resident Phillip Jones, who has lived next door for 20 years, said: “It was the anti-social behaviour still going on until 3am, people still coming out of the pub intoxicated.
“It was like being in Ibiza on holiday, a Club 18-30 type of thing.”
He told a licensing chief the last thing locals wanted to see was an empty pub – but they wanted to “see it go back to how it used to be, run as a family pub”.
The hearing of Flintshire council heard the recent tenants closed and vacated the pub on September 1 and it has yet to reopen.
Gemma Potter, the council’s licensing team leader, said anti-social behaviour, noise and litter were reported with live music and karaoke also a problem.
Ms Potter said: “The contents of the complaints worsened and residents expressed an inability to fully enjoy being in their homes, particularly on weekends and evenings into the early hours of morning.
“Every effort was made to engage with the premises management and pub company.”
But she said the tenants then “fashioned a fence panel to the rear of the premises into a gate through which access was being allowed after the agreed times with no regard to the safety of those entering and exiting.
“CCTV didn’t cover that area of the premises nor the alleyway customers were being permitted to enter and exit from.
“Customers also exited in this manner to fight with one or another away from the visibility from those managing the premises or acting in a security role.
“Those employed in a security role at the premises were assisting in admitting customers through the fence panel.”
The Ruthin Castle Pub is one of thousands of tenanted pubs owned by EI, which was purchased by Stonegate.
Stonegate apologised and put forward new opening hours and conditions in a bid to be able to reopen the pub in the future.
Richard Taylor, the solicitor for Stonegate, said: “We appear here today embarrassed and with an apology to all of those affected by the failure to deal with the issues highlighted.
“We don’t take issue with anything said. What is clear here is these aren’t problem premises, residents have been very clear the issue started in April.
“What we’ve got is a good pub that operated without difficulty but things went drastically wrong. There was a failure of communication for things to go up the chain here.”
Cllr Richard Lloyd said he was all for pubs remaining open and that it would be a shame to lose one.
“It’s a pub and not a nightclub, and to me it turned into a nightclub, let’s have it remain as a pub”, he added.
The licensing chiefs allowed the pub to reopen but must close by 11pm Sunday to Thursday and midnight on the weekend. Live music was banned.
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