Brew Monster wins protracted licensing battle to open beer garden

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A Caerphilly brewery owner at loggerheads with some of his neighbours has won a protracted licensing battle to open a beer garden in his yard.

Caerphilly Council’s licensing committee voted unanimously this week to grant a premises licence for the yard to Glenn White, who owns the Brew Monster brewery and bar in the town’s Lon Y Twyn.

He previously told the committee the plans would help his business “thrive in the future”.

Neighbours had opposed the application, alleging outdoor drinkers on weekends would lead to noisy disturbances.

At an initial meeting in August, they told the committee previous events in the brewery yard had made them unable to enjoy their gardens.

One called his garden a “no-go area” on those days, while another said her mother “couldn’t bear” to be outside due to the noise.

But Mr White told councillors at that meeting Brew Monster was an “asset to Caerphilly” and said he would bring in more staff to manage the outdoor space.

The committee’s decision was then delayed for two months, after Mr White presented plans to fit sound-proofing materials in the yard.

At a subsequent meeting, in October, he told the committee the acoustic insulation membrane he planned to install would offer “substantial” defence against escaping noise.

But objectors and some council officers questioned the material’s effectiveness in outdoor areas.

The committee was ultimately persuaded to grant Mr White his licence, subject to conditions – but the brewery owner’s wait to open the yard to customers goes on.

That’s because the council’s planning department is yet to reach a decision on whether to approve Brew Monster’s change-of-use application – submitted in June – for planning permission for the beer garden plans.