News

Fear ‘no consideration’ given in Lady Bay pub’s extended opening hours

By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter

---

A West Bridgford pub has been granted permission to stay open later but people living nearby say “no consideration” has been given to residents.

The popular Poppy and Pint in Lady Bay will now stay open past midnight each day after a request first submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council back in March 2025 to extend its hours was approved on Thursday (August 14).

The pub’s previous planning permission allowed it to open between 10am and 11.30pm, with last orders at 11.10pm.

Now, it will operate between 8am until 12.30am Sunday to Thursday and between 8am to 1am on Friday and Saturday.

The pub, which is run by Castle Rock Brewery, acts as a community spot in the area, hosting various group activities such as baby and toddler and dance groups in a first-floor function room.

The pub also acts as a café, offering coffee and cake during the day, which is used by members of the Lady Bay Tennis Club, which is immediately outside the pub.

Documents said the extended hours would “enable the venue to offer a wider service to a greater number of customers whilst retaining its community offer” and keep it running as a “viable” business.

But some residents living near the site feel no consideration has been given to extra noise affecting them and are worried about late night disturbance. A pub company boss says the business has done as much as it can to mitigate their concerns.

Hatsumi Smilley, 50, has lived on a nearby estate for 10 years and told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she is concerned her family will be woken up by more loud noises at the pub.

She said: “We have a child, she gets up early. I have to get up at 6am and my child goes to school – we do have noise here.

“We do have quite a bit of music and people talking loudly outside. Most people come out of the pub and they are talking so loudly. They do not realise we’re living here.”

Ms Smilley added there had already been instances – on the pub’s previous conditions – where her family had been woken up by noise relating to the pub and its customers.

One man, who asked not to be named, said the hour extensions had been given with “no consideration for residents”.

He said: “They would shut at 1am [but] by the time the people have said goodbye to [everyone] they will be coming out at 2am or 3am – they do not care about us.”

A noise survey done on the site found the extended hours would have a “low impact” on local noise and nearby residents.

Irene Cliff, 65, who has lived nearby for 12 years, spoke of a different experience living near the pub.

She said: “There is not really that much nuisance, people do not go out and start screaming and shouting.

“All the signs [nearby] saying to respect the neighbours – and people really do. It’s quite a good family pub.

Another unnamed resident questioned: “Why [do] they need to extend their hours? Why [do] they feel like they need to?”

Vicki Saxby, operations director, said in a statement: “We are pleased that our application to extend the Poppy and Pint’s opening hours has been approved, following a thorough process in which we worked closely with a noise mitigation specialist to ensure robust measures are in place to minimise disturbance, to the satisfaction of the Environmental Health team.

“While we acknowledge and respect the concerns raised during consultation, we also received messages of support. We have taken all feedback on board and believe we have done as much as possible to address residents’ concerns.”

Ms Saxby called the changes ‘modest’, saying: “This will allow a more gradual dispersal of customers from the pub after last orders, naturally reducing noise peaks while also enabling us to enact further measures, such as requiring customers to wait inside for taxis before leaving.

“The change doesn’t mean we will be serving alcohol later as a rule, but it allows us to better accommodate events and manage customers in a more controlled way at closing time.

“The last thing we want is to be at odds with our neighbours – as always, our goal is to remain a valued part of the Lady Bay community while ensuring the pub can thrive for years to come.”