'The whole town's on our side' - 2,000 people sign petition to save Weymouth pub
The landlord at The Duke of Cornwall in Weymouth is appealing to locals to help save its licence after noise complaints
Last updated 10th Nov 2021
The landlord of a Weymouth pub says he feels as if the 'whole town is on our side' after thousands sign a petition to save its licence.
Almost 2,000 people have signed a petition concerning a noise complaint about The Duke of Cornwall in Weymouth.
Noise complaints and an application to review the pub's licence have been lodged with Dorset Council in connection with live music played at the pub in St Edmund Street at night.
The current licence allows for music up until 2am on some nights, although the landlord claims they never have anyone playing that late.
But all music could be banned at the pub, should the complaint be successful.
Martin Rollings is the landlord. He said told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
"Without music we will close. This pub is a night time pub, we don't sell food, we have nothing more to offer than an open door during the day.
"People come in at night for the music, so if the music goes, we go.
"If the license is restricted or done away with then this pub will cease to be a pub because I can't see anyone making it work as a beer selling pub with no entertainment. It's always been a music venue."
Martin took on the pub in 2020 and says he's only done what previous landlords have been doing there for years and years.
Nevertheless, Dorset Council has put a sign outside the pub saying the license could be up for review depending on the results of a public consultation.
What Dorset Council say
A spokesperson for Dorset Council said:
"The Licensing Team have received an application for review of the premises licence for the Duke of Cornwall from a Local Residents Group. The application is related to the Licensing Objectives of Prevention of Public Nuisance and the Protection of Children from Harm.
"There is no view from the Licensing Enforcement Team at this moment in time, as with all review processes there is a 28 day consultation period, following this the licensing sub-committee will read all evidence submitted and following the committee will make their decision on the outcome.
"The Licensing Enforcement Team may wish to submit a representation in support of the review application, as may any of the other Responsible Authorities."
The petition had already garnered almost 2,000 signatures at the time of writing, with hundreds of emails sent to the Dorset Council licensing team in support of the pub.
Martin said:
"It's amazing. It's only been going less than three days and we're shocked and amazed and delighted at the response we've had, and also the emails that have been sent in to the licensing team.
"A lot of people have copied us in on them and some of them are fantastic. I don't know the numbers but I know that within a few hours I spoke to someone at licensing and they said it was up to 142 emails.
"Pretty amazing, we're really chuffed. It feels like we've got the whole town on our side."
Anyone interested on giving their views on the consultation can do so by emailing licensingteam@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.