I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with the letter recently published in The Crow regarding to the Barracuda pub. I, too, live in a neighbouring property and must suffer the noise until the early hours. If you check the licensing application, objections to the noise

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with the letter recently published in The Crow regarding to the Barracuda pub.

I, too, live in a neighbouring property and must suffer the noise until the early hours. If you check the licensing application, objections to the noise on the grounds of nuisance to neighbouring residential properties were ignored.

Perhaps Cllr Peter Burt would care to comment? I am afraid that in the eyes of North Herts District Council's licensing department, the license is granted automatically subject to conditions, provided it satisfies the four objectives:

- The prevention of crime and disorder

- Public safety

- The prevention of public nuisance

- The protection of children from harm

It is clear that with so many flats and houses surrounding the Barracuda, the playing of music until 2am is a public nuisance. The licensing department also neglected to inform the public in its notice in the local newspaper, and its notices in the pub window, that smoking will be allowed in the garden until 2am after July's smoking ban.

Those living nearby will probably now have to listen to patrons smoking and shouting until the early hours. It seems clear to me that the wishes of big businesses are more important than the local population.

Would Cllr Bill Prime care to comment on Barracuda's erection of illuminated signs in a conservation area without planning permission?

The planning department stated that Barracuda had refused to remove the signs, and its opening would go ahead. The signs still remain after the reopening, and as far as I can tell no planning application has been made.

My advice to the author of the letter recently published is to move house, as no-one will help you.

More flats will be built, and later and later licenses will be granted. As far as I know, no site visit was made with reference to this application and certainly no letters were sent to neighbouring properties.

You are expected to look out for a small notice in the local paper, or go and check the Barracuda's window. The pub is not on the licensing department's doorstep, nor our town councillors, so why would they be worried or why would they care?

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