Outdoor gigs stopped at Yorkshire village pub as part of beer garden bar plan

Plans to open a beer garden bar at a village pub have been given the go-ahead after councillors were assured that outdoor live music would no longer be allowed at the venue.

A Wakefield Council licensing hearing was told The Star Inn, in Kirkhamgate, now operated as “relaxed, laid-back, family-led” premises.

The hearing took place after local residents and environmental health officers objected to proposals by Ei Group Ltd to amend the licence for the Batley Road pub to include an external bar and marquee.

Similar plans were lodged with the local authority in February but were withdrawn after attracting objections related to noise.

Outlining the new scheme, Alex Green, a solicitor representing the applicant, said Ei Group was part of Stonegate Group, which operated around 4,000 premises nationally.

Mr Green described the Star Inn as an “integral community-led local” which dated back to the mid 1800s but had “struggled commercially” in recent years.

He said the pub’s current licensee Paul Presley had around 30 years’ experience in the industry and had been working hard to make the business viable.

Mr Green said: “We have got an extremely experienced operator backed by a well-established pub company.

“We will do everything we can to keep this pub open for the benefit of the wider community.

“All we are trying to achieve here is the ability, for a few months of the year, weather permitting, to do what most other public houses do, and that’s to utilise the outdoor space.”

He added: “There are to be no live music events or anything like that. That’s not happening.

“Any music is played from small speakers at background level. It’s an offering to events taking place, such as christenings.”

Mr Green said functions had been held at the premises throughout the summer of this year under temporary event notices issued by the council “with virtually no music-related issues whatsoever.”

The meeting heard noise complaints had been received during the summer of 2025 when live music events had been held.

Mr Green said: “Whilst the events in the outdoor space proved hugely successful and popular with local residents, it brought about complaints from neighbours living right on the boundary.

“In hindsight, some of the events were probably not suitable for this outdoor space and Paul holds his hands up to this. Mistakes were made.

“Paul did, however, engage with neighbours throughout and was always trying to help and appease them while trying to make the pub commercially viable.

“What became clear in 2026 was that the outdoor space needed to be operated differently going forward.”

He added: “We have made it very clear this year that, from the beginning, this is to be a nice, quiet, relaxed laid back family-led beer garden that is not going to be exposed to music events.”

April Fisher, senior environmental officer for the council, said her department had objected to the latest application as it appeared “confusing and conflicting” regarding the playing of music.

She accepted that there had been “no issues” during events held at the pub in recent months but requested that a condition prohibiting outdoor music be included in the licensing conditions if the scheme was approved.

No one attended the hearing to speak on behalf of residents who objected.

A petition previously submitted to the council by residents of Westfield Place said: “We believe that these proposed changes would result in significant public nuisance, including increased noise and disturbance, which would prevent the peaceful enjoyment of our homes and gardens.

“Given the close proximity of residential properties, outdoor music events would have a disproportionate impact on local residents.

“We are concerned that permitting music and related activities in the beer garden may encourage larger gatherings and prolonged use of the outdoor area, increasing the risk of anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder within the surrounding residential neighbourhood.”

Councillors approved the proposal subject to conditions that no live music was played outdoors and that external areas were closed by 9.30pm.