A WOLLASTON micro-bar has been refused permission to open its popular beer garden for longer.

The Kingsbridge Bar had sought planning permission to vary conditions to open its outdoor area from 10am to 9pm daily.

The garden has been allowed to open from 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 3.30pm on Sundays since 2021 but the pub’s owners wanted to extend the offering until later in the evenings.

The Kingsbridge Bar, on the corner of King Street and Bridgnorth Road, opened in September 2020 but planning permission for the outdoor drinking area, which was sought shortly afterwards, was initially refused as the garden, which was created by using amenity space from a neighbouring property owned by the applicants, had not been part of the original planning approval.

However, after changes were made, a revised application was given temporary approval for one-year in July 2021 so the impact on residents could be assessed, and a year later Dudley Council’s development control committee gave permanent approval.

The bar’s owners, however, recently submitted a further application to extend the opening hours of the outdoor courtyard to 9pm each day but council planners said this would be to the detriment of residents and the application was refused.

Four letters of objection were submitted by neighbours concerned about noise nuisance – with 48 letters of support offered up from people praising the micro bar and the economic and social value they say it brings to the community.

However, a planning officer said the support did “not outweigh the significant weight that has to be given to protecting the living conditions of nearby residents” and the report concluded: “Although located within a local centre, the use of the courtyard area as an outside seating area until 9pm would adversely affect the amenities of occupiers of residential properties in the vicinity due to noise and disturbance.”