Leighton Buzzard pub at risk of closure after complaints over noise
A Leighton Buzzard pub is the subject of a second licence review after concerns were raised about noise levels.
The Black Horse pub, based on North Street, is facing a review brought against it by Central Bedfordshire Council.
The pub has claimed on social media that the complaints about music and noise levels have come from neighbours who live behind the pub.
The post stated: “My family and I have spent the past 18 months working on the Black Horse to bring it back to life as the iconic public house and hotel it once was in the very heart of the town.”
And it added that losing the licence would “trigger the end for the Black Horse,” forcing them to sell up.
The Black Horse concluded its social media post by saying: “We are fighting against the council to keep our pub alive and open for the local community going forward.”
Pub-goers rallied to lend their support to the venue, saying it would be “a great shame” and a “massive loss to the town” if it closed.
Central Bedfordshire Council’s licensing sub-committee held a meeting on Monday, August 4 during which the issue was on the agenda.
After a chair was elected, a request for adjournment was discussed.
The full report will be considered when the meeting was reconvened.
In a statement, Central Bedfordshire Council told the LBO: “There is an application for the review of the premises licence for The Black Horse being dealt with currently. The meeting happened yesterday and then adjourned for a period of at least two weeks. We are currently in the process of arranging a new hearing date.”
In August 2024, Bedfordshire Police asked for the pub’s licence to be revoked following concerns about noise levels.
The council’s licensing committee stopped short of that measure, and instead set out conditions including limiting live music from 10am to 11pm, and restricting the venue’s back courtyard to residents to 11pm Sundays to Thursdays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
The LBO has approached The Black Horse for a comment, but it had not responded by time of publication.
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