NEIGHBOURS have rallied to support their village pub after a call for a review of the premises licence.

Councillors will hear how 20 letters of support have been received backing the Ilchester Arms at Symondsbury.

One resident asked for the review claiming that he, and others, have been disturbed by late-night drinkers from the Palmers pub.

The man is asking for the review to “prevent disorder, to protect public safety and the prevention of public nuisance”. He says he has taken the step after an attempt at mediation failed to bring about any change, as did requests to the pub to tackle what he sees as problems of noise and disturbance.

He will tell councillors that he has lived in the village for 60 years and had not had a problem until the law changed in 2005 to allow 24-hour opening and then another law was passed to prevent smoking inside.

“My life was made an absolute misery because these laws pushed everything outside and at all hours,” he says in his letter to the council.

Pub owners Palmers and other residents are happy both with way the pub is run – pointing to glowing tributes on social media review sites and a list of positive comments from visitors to the pub.

The resident who is complaining says his requests to Palmers and the council licensing officers to take action changed nothing and, at times, there has been noise outside until 4am, with delivery vans sometimes arriving from 5am. He claims that at night he can hear almost every word from people using the smoking area, which he says is just ten yards away from his home.

He is asking the licensing committee to review the licence hours and limit the closing time to 11pm.

His plea will be heard at a council licensing committee in Weymouth on March 20.

Letters in support of the pub include comments that the objections are “absurd”, that the pub has supported community events and that the writers have never heard any disturbance.

“Without it, or with its licence curtailed, the village will die and we will lose a much loved community asset. In four years of going there I am unaware of any bad behaviour or any other reason to dispute its licence.

“The pub has been there a lot longer than any of the neighbour,” said one letter writer.

Palmers have submitted series of social media messages from customers who have enjoyed their visits to the pub and are expected to be represented at the hearing.

Councillors who sit on the panel will be told they have a range of choices – Modify the conditions of the premises licence (including adding, altering or omitting conditions to the licence); exclude a licensable activity from the licence; remove the designated premises supervisor; suspend the licence for a period not exceeding three months, or revoke the licence.

The licensing committee will hear the review request at the council chamber in Commercial Road, Weymouth on Wednesday, March 20th at 10am.