A council hearing will decide on a new pub's alcohol licence after complaints from neighbours about potential late-night noise. The former Old Stags Head in Penn, Wolverhampton, which closed in 2018 but was saved from being turned into houses after a campaign by locals, is now being refurbished and re-opened.
Licence Application Details
Sukhwinder Singh applied to City of Wolverhampton Council asking for permission to sell alcohol between 9am and midnight every day. However, a handful of objectors have complained about the hours, saying 9am was too early to be serving alcohol near a school and midnight was too late to not disrupt other villagers.
History of the Pub
The pub in Church Hill closed in October 2018 after a decline in trade. Locals fought off plans to convert the building, which has stood for more than 200 years in the village, into a new home on two occasions in recent years. City of Wolverhampton Council approved plans last year to re-open the pub, which was described as dilapidated and in a serious state of disrepair, with a new layout and bigger restaurant.
Objections and Hearing
A handful of objections to the alcohol licence were lodged with City of Wolverhampton Council, resulting in a hearing set for June 15. One objector, who had lived in the village for more than 30 years, said they had been plagued by “intrusive and inarguably excessive noise” when the pub was last open. “It is entirely inappropriate to consider awarding the kind of late license usually associated with a city centre venue,” the objection said. “Patrons lingering, behaving rowdily as they depart, either on foot or in vehicles mean that local residents will have to suffer the consequences of longer drinking hours in an inappropriate residential area.”
Withdrawal of Concerns
The council’s public health and environmental health officers and West Midlands Police withdrew their concerns after discussions with Mr Singh.
Previous Attempts to Convert
The pub was put up for sale after closing in 2018 and was still available more than five years later, with the price reduced from £750,000 to £495,000. A plan by the pub owner to turn the former watering hole into a six-bed home was rejected by City of Wolverhampton Council in 2022, with the decision then upheld by government planning inspectors after an appeal. Another application to turn the former pub into a house was again put forward in 2024 but rejected by the council for a second time after more than 300 people objected.
The pub is also registered as an asset of community value.
