Historic chandelier collector faces off with council over noise complaints

However, the tranquillity she has relished might be in jeopardy as she finds herself caught between two live music venues.

Self-confessed eccentric Val Martin has been selling historic crystal chandeliers imported from the great houses of Europe from the antique shop she also calls home in Hale village for nearly 40 years.

Antique chandeliers in Hyde

But the dog-loving 82-year-old says may be on the verge of quitting as she faces being sandwiched between two venues offering live music and an ‘onslaught of horrendous noise’.

Val’s Pomeranian pooch runs around the luscious south-facing garden of her quaint four-storey property on the edge of the village centre.

“I never imagined ever having to leave here,” she said. “I’ve been here 38 years.”

Hale Tavern

Trafford council’s licensing sub-committee agreed last night (Wednesday, August 9) for the new owner of a bar to be known as Hale Tavern on Ashley Road until 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays and until midnight from Sundays to Thursdays in premises that were once an Italian restaurant – right next to Val.

And on Monday (August 14), an application to turn the vacant former Spanish restaurant on the other side of Val’s ‘Porcupine’ shop into an eatery called La Bandara, which also offers live music, will be decided by the same sub-committee.

Greater Manchester Police

Greater Manchester Police have advised that its licensing hours be restricted to 11 pm after the initial application asked for a 2 am permission.

“I’m undecided about whether or not I will stay,” said Val. “I’m open-minded.”

She was commenting after three other nearby residents and a friend speaking on her behalf – Paulina Lewis – voiced objections to the sub-committee at Trafford Town Hall.

“The decision went against us,” said Val. “It was as if they weren’t listening to what we were saying.

“As things stand, it looks as though I’m going to be subjected to an onslaught of horrendous noise through my walls.”

The applicant was John Dodd, who has run the King George pub in Moss Lane, Hale for nine years, and has set up the company Hale Tavern Ltd.

Mr Dodd told the sub-committee the tavern would be a bar serving food ‘in keeping with the local area, serving locally sourced produce’’.

“People have assumed it’s going to be a nightclub,” he said. “But that’s not going to be the case.

“Our aim is for people to drink until 11 pm but close at midnight, to give people time to finish before leaving.”

He said the bar would employ 16 people, full-time and part-time.

“Our concept is to sell real ales and food,” he continued. “I’ve been trading [in Hale] for nine years and had no complaints whatsoever.

“If we have had any complaints about the music we put on, we turn it all off.”

The Railway, Hale

He pointed out there is a pub a few doors away – The Railway – where there is a licence until 1.30 am.

His environmental adviser for licensing and planning, Nichola Waterworth, said that any music would have a noise limiter restriction and that Mr Dodd would ‘proactively speak to the residents’.

However, nearby resident Paul Luton told the sub-committee: “There have been complaints about The Railway and its operation. The fact they have a licence until 1.30 am is no justification for the Hale Tavern to have something similar.

“We’ve had a history of what was originally a Hale wine bar on this site where there were 150 people in that property, immediately behind my house.

“It was absolute chaos from our point of view and also the police’s.

Speaking on behalf of Val, Ms Lewis said: “My friend will be sandwiched between two [licensing] applications. The peaceful enjoyment of her property is going to be severely affected by what is proposed.”

However, the sub-committee Couns John Holden, Ged Carter and Adele New approved the licence after a discussion in private.