The landlord of a Derby pub has won a battle for later opening hours – after telling officials noise concerns ‘did not make sense’.

The Bess of Hardwick on Wardwick will be allowed to expand its opening hours until 4am during weekends after councillors granted permission.

A Derby City Council licensing meeting was held after Daniel Burley’s application was met with concern by nearby residents.

Mr Burley said that he wanted later hours to boost Derby’s nightlife.

But the council received a letter from residents who said they “strongly object” to the extended hours – which triggered a licensing hearing.

The letter read: “The volume of noise coming from this location is already intrusive, especially the outside areas.

“Once the pub empties we have the additional disturbance of people shouting/screaming/fighting. With the proposed times this will continue all night.”

However, those who made the objection did not attend the licensing hearing on July 1.

Mr Burley has run the Bess of Hardwick for several years. The family-run pub is known to be popular among football fans with the showing of live games.

At the meeting he told councillors and legal representatives he “could not understand” the objections and said other bars in the area closed at 4am.

Mr Burley said: “The woman [objector] said we play music until 3am on a Wednesday and Thursday, for example, but we shut at 2am. We don’t have anyone in the building after 2.30am.

“I was hoping they would come [to the meeting], to be honest. Their complaints don’t make any sense with what we do. ”

Councillors quizzed Mr Burley over the pub’s beer garden and any associated noise – but the landlord said the outdoor area was “enclosed between buildings” and was unlike a traditional pub garden.

He added: “The music has always been cut off dead-on [closing time]. You wouldn’t be able to get rid of the customers if you left the music on. There are no speakers outside.”

Making the decision was the council’s General Licensing Sub committee (GLSC). This consisted of councillors Alison Holmes, Richard Hudson and Martin Repton who granted the application.

A minutes report states: “It was also confirmed that other venues in this area were still trading once Bess of Hardwick was closed up.

“Therefore, the GLSC considered that granting the variation would not, in itself, create an unacceptable impact on the area and would bring the premises into line with neighbouring licensed venues.”

Papers released prior to the meeting stated that the Bess of Hardwick and both the council and Derbyshire police agreed to certain conditions in relation to the application for later hours.

Report by Nigel Slater (Local Democracy Reporter)