Relieved brewery owner’s plan for outdoor drinking area approved after 12 months

A brewery and bar owner in Caerphilly said he is relieved plans for an outdoor drinking area have finally won council planners’ approval.

Glenn White, who runs Brew Monster on Lon Y Twyn, applied for change-of-use planning permission in June 2023 to allow food and drinks to be consumed in his yard on weekends.

The plans drew both support and objections from people living nearby, and follow Mr White’s separate bid last summer to gain an alcohol licence for the outdoor area.

The yard, immediately to the right of the main Brew Monster building, backs onto homes and last year Caerphilly County Borough Council’s licensing committee heard long arguments about the impacts of noise on neighbours.

The committee ultimately granted Mr White permission to open the yard for customers – but his plans have been held up by a 12-month wait for a decision on the planning permission application.

The outdoor area is currently used for brewery storage and a vehicle turning area.

Plans show these uses will continue on weekdays, but the area will be opened up for customer seating on Saturdays and Sundays.

Those who supported Mr White’s application called the business a “focal point of the community and offering a unique experience in the town”.

Others championed Brew Monster for being an independent firm and said an outdoor area would help it “thrive in tough economic times” and draw in visitors to Caerphilly.

“With a lot of pubs closing, all new establishments should be supported as much as possible,” another supporter said.

The plans also drew some objections, including from people concerned about “disruptive noise” and “antisocial behaviour”.

Another raised concerns about outdoor food consumption leading to littering and “vermin in the area”.

Other complaints centred on the same issues raised during last summer’s licensing meetings – primarily around allegations of customers on the pavement, noise from events, and claims of bad behaviour – which Mr White challenged at the time.

The plans for the yard show “visual and acoustic screening” will be installed to reduce the impact of noise.

The year-long wait for planning permission, however, means Mr White’s timeframe for opening the yard for customers has been disrupted.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the planners’ decision was published, he said he was “absolutely” relieved to get permission for the yard.

“It’s been 54 weeks since I put the application in,” he said. “I’ve been pushing hard for it for 12 months.”

Brew Monster’s plan is now to arrange “funds to get the work done” on installing the screening, Mr White said, adding: “We are in this for the long haul”.

Caerphilly Council has approved the use of the outdoor area on weekends between midday and 9pm.

Conditions of the planning permission include that Brew Monster must not play amplified music “into the brewery yard” at any time.