THE LICENSED opening hours of the Sherlock Holmes Inn in Pennar, Pembroke Dock, have been extended by the council’s Licensing Sub-Committee, following a request from the Dyfed-Powys Police Licensing Officer. The committee met on Wednesday (Dec 9), to discuss an application from Mr Brian Revill to extend the opening hours of the pub to 1.30am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The application also asked to extend the opening hours from Sunday to Wednesday to 00.30hrs. However, the committee heard from Dyfed Powys Police’s Licensing Officer, Mr Nigel Hayes, who said that if the hours applied for were granted it would ‘have a detrimental effect on the community’.

He also recommended that the hours be changed to 24.00hrs on Friday and Saturday nights and 23.30hrs for the rest of the week. The sale of alcohol would be permitted up until 23.30hrs on Fridays and Saturdays and 23.00hrs from Sundays to Thursdays. The committee agreed with Mr Hayes and granted permission for the pub to be open between those hours. Appearing on behalf of Mr Revill, Mrs Revill told the committee: “All we are asking for is to have the same as everybody else in Pembroke Dock. “Our hours are too short at the moment and we haven’t had any trouble. “This is something that Pennar deserves. Locals attend the pub which is a community pub.

“Without having an extension to our license, we may not be able to keep it open as we are losing business. “We have done everything that is asked of us. We have put in a smoking pen, notices on the door telling people to respect the neighbours as they leave. We want to do everything we can to make sure this stays as a community pub. “We do have an open mic night which is all acoustic and it attracts all ages and they are gone by 11pm.

“All we are asking is that we just have the same as everybody else.” Licensing Officer Nigel Hayes said: “This application seeks to extend the licensing hours quite considerably in our opinion, going beyond late evening and into the early hours of the morning. “The location of the premises is also an issue for us. There are a number of terraced houses on what is a narrow street. “Police expect there to be problems as there will be people in the street talking and taxis tooting their horns.

“We have visited the premises to speak to Mr Revill in the past and we were impressed with what we saw and it was clear at the time that this was a new venture for him. “It was a surprise for us when we saw this application come forward. “I would have thought that it would have been a better approach to test the water with temporary event notices. “This is not an ideal location and the longer hours, if granted, will have a detrimental effect on the community.

“We are not slamming the door completely and would accept a slight increase for sale of alcohol and the opening hours.” Pembrokeshire County Council’s Pollution Control Officer Nathan Miles added that there had also been three complaints about people leaving the premises and music coming from it and that there was also an allegation that the pub was already operating beyond its current licensed conditions. There were also two letters of objection from residents who live nearby.

Mrs Revill responded saying that one of those complaints had originated from noise during one of the Rugby World Cup matches and that she would not be changing the open mic nights. After deliberating for nearly half an hour, the committee returned to tell Mrs Revill that they had agreed to extend the licensing hours but to the ones that were outlined by Mr Hayes. Mrs Revill indicated that she would be looking to appeal the decision made by the committee.