'Smoking areas would be too noisy'

9:26am Monday 30th April 2007

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Plans for alternative smoking areas outside pubs have been turned down because they would be too noisy.

Landlords across Brighton and Hove are concerned about the effects the national smoking ban, due to come into force on July 1, may have on their trade.

They fear drinkers will be less likely to venture out if they are not allowed to smoke and want to build courtyards, terraces and extra outdoor floors to give them a legal place to puff.

But many of these planning applications have been turned down by Brighton and Hove City Council leaving publicans feeling thwarted at every turn.

Colin Peterson, landlord of the Farm Tavern in Western Road, Hove, said he was horrified his pub's application for a glass canopy over a few small tables at the front was turned down because it was out of keeping with the area and would encourage noisy drinkers to hang out on the street.

He said the ban meant smokers were bound to congregate outdoors so didn't see what difference the canopy would make to noise.

He said: "It just means they will get wet.

"I am very surprised at the decision - we have a lot of smokers in the pub and really need to provide a decent smoking place to keep them.

"I am worried about the effect the ban will have on our trade - it is a very difficult time to be a publican and it is giving me lots of headaches."

Two months ago The Freemasons Tavern in Western Road, Hove, was also refused permission to build a "smokers terrace" next to its upstairs bar for similar reasons.

Susie Waters, from the Freemasons, said she had taken the plunge and gone no-smoking early - opening one of the city's first non-smoking cocktail bars two weeks ago.

She said time would tell how the ban would affect the pub trade. She said: "We are sticking to our guns and hoping people get used to it.

"We're bound to take a dip in trade for a while but we are confident it will pick up.

"We thought we might as well introduce non-smoking now before the official ban so it is not so hard-hitting when everything is non-smoking.

"People have taken to it well so far and we have had some good feedback saying it is nice to be in a non-smoking atmosphere."

Plans from the Golden Cannon in St George's Road, Brighton for a new courtyard out the back and the Caxton Arms in North Gardens, Brighton for an outside 'mezzanine' floor - which would create a covered courtyard effect for smokers outside - are still under discussion.

Plans from the Eddy, in Upper Gloucester Road, Brighton to knock down the back wall, move the toilets and create an outdoor courtyard at the back were given the go-ahead.

Manager Robbie Dowell said: "At least 70 per cent of our customers smoke so the ban could hit us quite hard but hopefully they will just get used to having a fag outside.

"We are really pleased to build the courtyard, it will really help us, although I don't understand why they have turned down other places because of noise issues.

"People are going to be standing outside regardless - it is an inevitable effect of banning them from smoking inside."

A spokeswoman from the city council said: "Our job as planning authority is to consider each application on its own merits. In the case of the Farm and the Freemasons, neither pub has a garden, both their proposed smoking areas were in particularly close proximity to neighbouring flats and houses, and residents would be disturbed by the noise and also perhaps the smoke that groups of smokers would create."

How will your local pub deal with the smoking ban? Leave your comments below.