AFTER a tense wait, a popular Weymouth town centre pub is to finally face the music on whether it can keep its licence after a series of noise complaints.
Almost 200 people have written to licensing bosses in support of the Duke of Cornwall amid the saga - which correspondence from the council's Licensing team states is 'by far the largest number of representations the council has ever received for an application of any kind'.
A date has been set for the pub to attend a Dorset Council sub-Licensing committee hearing on December 21 which has been triggered by complaints from 'Respect Weymouth'. It could result in new terms and conditions being attached to the pub's licence; or the landlords being removed from the licence; a ban on live music - or could see the pub closed down entirely.
A record-breaking number of supportive comments have been sent to the council after the notice was served last month.
Meanwhile, Respect Weymouth claims the pub is causing a public nuisance with loud live gigs and jam sessions and wants new conditions to be imposed on the pub - leading to concerns about the impact that could have on other premises in Weymouth. Respect Weymouth's representative has previously said they are not trying to stop live music in the town.
The Duke of Cornwall is considered central to Weymouth's live music scene by many locals and the complaints have sparked widespread outcry.
A total of 193 people have written to the council in support of the pub, while an online petition 'Save the Duke of Cornwall' has garnered over 3,200 signatures since it was launched around one month ago.
Meanwhile the council said four members of the public have backed Respect Weymouth's complaint.
It comes after Weymouth Town Council's Licensing Committee last month said that the Duke of Cornwall is an important asset to the town's live music scene, calling for a mediation to be held instead of an official hearing in a bid to resolve the dispute informally. Pub landlord Martin Freed says he has not been offered mediation, and that so far no evidence of alleged breaches of a noise abatement notice.
However the fate of the pub is to be decided at a formal licensing review meeting as per Dorset Council's original plan - which members of the public can attend.
The meeting will be held online on Tuesday December 21 at 10am.
Dorset Council will publish details of how to join on its website at a later date at moderngov.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=436&MId=5272
Anyone wishing to submit a comment to Dorset Council's Licensing department can do so by emailing licensingteamb@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
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