Great Notley's new pub The Oval has been given the all clear to provide entertainment.

Councillors faced with over 70 objections from residents and local groups ruled that the show can go on, but only up to certain times.

Approval for a public entertainment licence was granted by the council's regulatory committee after a hearing on Monday attended by a dozen objectors who are worried about late night noise and extra traffic at the pub, 109 yards from the nearest homes.

Pub manager Martin Day said afterwards: "We are mulling it over for the time being. We can serve drink until midnight for those having a meal anyway because we have got a supper licence.

"We are going to have to sit back and look and see if the costs of the extra restrictions are going to be worth doing that extra little bit.

"Nothing is going to happen immediately. We have got to look at what kind of events are suitable for the village."

The pub, which has been open for three weeks, had applied for a full entertainments licence until midnight on Monday to Thursday and 1am from Friday to Sunday.

The committee agreed the licence until 11pm on Monday to Thursday and midnight at the weekend.

Other restrictions were also imposed on noise and the need for 53 car parking spaces to be available before events are staged.

A report to the committee said the licensee had suggested typical entertainment might include a small number of jazz musicians or a piano player.

Great Notley Garden Village Residents Association chairman Ken Game said in a letter: ''The original idea was to have a modest pub to which local people could walk. A pub of this size will need to bring outsiders in from far and wide to be successful and the resulting nuisance will be obvious."

Published Thursday, April 17, 2003

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