The Rabbit Hotel entertainments licence renewal includes ‘implementation of agreed noise management plan’

The renewed licence was approved at a meeting of the council at Mossley Mill on Monday evening. Colin Kelly, the council’s head of environmental health, told the meeting the hotel’s entertainments licence expired on September 30 although it was permitted to continue providing entertainment in the interim.

He stated that no objections have been received by the council from the PSNI or Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. Mr Kelly reported that residents’ objections related to claims of “undue disturbance caused by increasing frequency of entertainment noise”.

A report to councillors said: “A total of six complainants have raised issues with the entertainment noise and associated disturbance from The Rabbit. Environmental health has been investigating the issue by in-person monitoring and taking recordings from nearby properties. Council officers have monitored noise levels on 12 occasions with six incidents of noise from the entertainment activities audible beyond the boundaries of The Rabbit.

“Upon examination of the complaints received by environmental health between July 2022 and October 2023, it was determined that none of the complaints concerning alleged noise disturbance were assessed as constituting a statutory noise nuisance under The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.”

The report noted an annual renewal inspection for the premises was carried out on August 24. “Having considered all the evidence, including submissions on behalf of the applicant and objectors, as well as our own investigations, officers are of the opinion that there is no substantive evidence to prevent the renewal of the entertainments licence,” it was stated.

Entrance Lobby

It was recommended the licence should be granted with appropriate conditions attached which the applicant must ensure are met. These include the implementation of an agreed noise management plan requiring the construction of a new entrance lobby area.

In addition, access to the external terrace not permitted by patrons between 11pm and 7am and monitoring by The Rabbit management and staff to ensure internal noise levels are kept within agreed boundaries to include The Loft/restaurant/bar/Garden Room and grill/ lounge and The Boathouse, which is in the pipeline.

Objector James Clarke told the meeting he was speaking on behalf of Templepatrick Residents’ Community Group. He stated: “This hotel is in the middle of a residential area with 100 houses in the immediate vicinity. He alleged the noise is “well above excessive limits” which has resulted in complaints to the council and local elected representatives.

“We have tried to contact management directly over 15 times to resolve this. We need a noise management system that automatically cuts power when the sound is above a certain level.” He also suggested that external speakers in the spa area are removed.

Macedon Ulster Unionist Councillor Robert Foster asked how Mr Clarke was affected by noise from the hotel. Mr Clarke claimed: “I live 100 metres from it. There are many nights you are lying in bed and all you hear is that bass noise going through your head. It is so bad you can actually listen to the words of the songs 100 metres away.”