Aviemore bar given warning over noise complaints
An under fire Aviemore pub landlord has been issued with a warning by Highland licensing chiefs after a neighbour was woken up by blaring music at 3.45am.
Mr Paul Heywood, who runs the Winking Owl, appeared before the Highland Licensing Board in Inverness yesterday (Tuesday) after Susan Long complained about the noise coming from the Grampian Road bar.
Ms Long who lives in a bungalow on 1 Balavoulin Court behind the bar, called him to complain and also emailed Ian Cox, licensing standards officer for Highland Council.
She said the music had been getting steadily "louder and louder" in the weekends leading up to the incident on 14th January.
Any music from the bar is supposed to stop at 2.45am.
Mr Cox had also visited the bar a week earlier and found music was blaring through a speaker on an outside wall.
The board held a hearing into the breach of the premises licence and Mr Heywood, who only took over the Winking Owl last September, said he was truly sorry for disturbing his neighbour.
"We did obviously breach the noise levels and had people in until late hours," he said. "I completely emphasise with her (Ms Long).
"We have taken the outside speaker down and we actually shut the bar at 2.45am and make sure everybody is out by 3am."
He said that he had personally knocked on the doors of all the neighbours to apologise and left letters for them but had failed to meet Ms Long face-to-face yet to offer her a direct explanation.
He added that he was aware of "bits and bobs" of the premises previous review in 2010 under different management after complaints of excessive noise and glass bottles being served over the bar after 9pm, instead of using plastic or polycarbonate containers.
Mr Cox said the landlord had been contrite in his apologies but added Ms Long told him the bar had been noisy again on the weekend of 11th February but she had not complained because she was home from work and tired.
"Hopefully Mr Heywood has learned the lessons from this," added Mr Cox.
Board chairman Councillor Peter Corbett said it was disappointing the premises had another complaint against it and warned Mr Heywood: "You have got long hours and have to be particularly vigilant because you won’t want to be back here again."
The board issued Mr Heywood with a written warning for the breach.
