A village pub which shut down last year after complaints over crime, abuse and anti-social behaviour is bidding to re-open again in the face of local opposition.

The Silent Woman in the centre of Slaithwaite closed when police applied to revoke its licence.

The pub’s landlady surrendered her licence and shut the doors before a review hearing could be held.

The pub has remained closed but now a new licensee, Nicola Hunter, wants to take it on.

West Yorkshire Police and Kirklees Council’s environmental health and licensing departments received numerous complaints about the pub last year.

There were reports of fighting, abuse and drunken behaviour, glasses being thrown, allegations of drug-dealing, under-age drinking, drink-driving and hate crimes against people living nearby.

Police applied to revoke the licence in October 2023 but the licence was handed back before a licensing panel hearing could be held.

Miss Hunter wants to open the pub from 9am to 11.30pm Monday-Thursday; 9am to 12.30am Friday and Saturday and 9am to 11.30pm on Sunday.

Alcohol would be served from 11am to 11pm Monday to Thursday; 11am to midnight Friday and Saturday; and 11am to 11pm on Sunday.

The application will go before Kirklees Council’s licensing panel on Thursday August 22 and letters of objection have been published on the council’s website.

 

 

Around a dozen local residents have objected to the new licence with one couple telling how they were forced to leave their home due to “devastating” homophobic abuse by customers at the pub.

They were subjected to homophobic graffiti and had eggs thrown at them in their garden.

In their objection, the couple told how their lives were plagued for 18 months. They spoke of loud music, swearing, screaming, drug-dealing, drug-taking, underage drinking and personal attacks.

“Ultimately, the attacks resulted in me and my partner having to move out of the property to escape the situation. No-one should ever have to move out of their home because of a granted application to premises like this one.”

The couple added: “This public house was closed down by the police in late 2023 and that speaks volumes in itself. It follows reports of drug-dealing, drug-taking, drunken behaviour, underage drinking and serious mismanagement of the premises.

“Granting this licence will see a return of the above situations. Previous customers have not been particularly ‘shy’ in notifying neighbours of how they are simply waiting for the pub to re-open again, adding to the stress and anxiety that those neighbours are already feeling.”

Last summer the pub was given an action plan to follow after complaints but the pub “violated it on day one”, it was said.

Another objector said that Nabbs Lane outside the pub was a route used by young children going to a nursery, after-school club and scouts and guides.

They said their children felt “intimidated” about playing in their own garden which was close to the pub’s beer garden where there was “drug use, smoking, swearing, inappropriate sexual language, disorderly and violent behaviour.”

Windows in the children’s bedrooms had to be kept closed in summer due to “cigarette and cannabis smoke coming in.”

Another resident couldn’t believe the application was even being considered. “Surely you remember all the complaints regarding noise, violence, anti-social behaviour?!

“The previous landlords could not control the customers last time. What makes you sure that the new ones can control the same customers?”

 

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