'It was mob rule' - residents' relief after pub's hours cut
Phil and Carole Henley have spoken of their relief after a pub, trading as a 'pseudo night club' had its licensing hours cut after Mr Henley applied for a review. - Credit: Liz Coates
Residents have spoken of their relief after a problem pub had its licensing hours cut following a string of complaints.
People living in Lowestoft Road and Sussex Road, Gorleston, say they endured three months of sleepless nights which saw fights and people urinating in the streets after The Tramway re-opened on April 12.
The Tramway pub on Lowestoft Road, Gorleston is currently closed pending a licence review. - Credit: James Weeds
Retired police officer Phil Henley, who led a bid to have the venue's 4am licence reviewed, said it was "a huge relief" when Great Yarmouth Borough Council said on Wednesday (August 25) it could stay open, but would have to close at midnight.
The decision followed a hearing on Monday.
Mr Henley said: "It has been a huge battle and I did not expect to be front and centre of it.
"For three months you never knew what it was going to bring, when it was going to start or when it was going to end. If you can think of a problem associated with a pub they had it.
"It was mob rule. It will be nice to go to sleep and get back to normal.
"Now we can relax."
Residents in Lowestoft Road have spoken of their relief after the Tramway pub was told it had to stop serving at midnight. - Credit: James Weeds
Neighbour Chris Speed also hailed the council's decision.
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"I think it is great," he said. "I did not want to see the pub closed but there was so much noise and fighting. It felt a bit scary.
"We live near a pub and expect some noise but the problem was everyone was going there after everywhere else had shut. It was just horrific."
Eric Whiteman opposite agreed saying he welcomed the change and was happy for it to still be a pub.
John Piper, meanwhile, said it was "a big relief".
"As long as it is run properly it is an acceptable pub," he said.
"People here have children and there are pensioners, if it were down the seafront it would be ok, but not here."
A few doors down Jim Little said the pub had been much quieter recently and that midnight was "fair enough".
"It is healthy to have a range of different establishments and The Tramway is just one of them," he added.
People described the pub as operating "like a pseudo nightclub" - what the police term a "last destination venue" - with fleets of mini buses bringing people from all over for late night revelry.
Attempts have been made to contact the pub, which has 21 days to appeal the decision.
