From the http://www.courier.co.uk 10 January, 2014. By Mary Harris

Trendy pub ordered to turn down volume.

A TRENDY pub in Tunbridge Wells has been ordered by licence bosses to curb its music after long-running complaints by sleep-deprived residents.

TN4 has been barred for three months from playing recorded music until 3am. Now it must stop at 2am on Friday and Saturday and midnight on Thursday.

And on the rest of the days, instead of playing until 1am it must stop at midnight.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council licensing sub-committee also ordered TN4 on Mount Ephraim to monitor outside noise levels every 30 minutes for three months when a DJ is playing and keep a log for the council.

The hearing was triggered by residents' complaints from May last year about loud music and the noise of punters from the front and back gardens.

Licence officers believed TN4 was not following its licence rules, which included windows and doors having to be shut when a DJ was playing.

The hearing was told by council officers the music was so loud the entire play-list could be heard from a nearby bedroom.

After considering evidence from all sides, the sub-committee decided not to ban the playing of recorded music, as had been recommended by licensing officers.

But it said it had been "extremely disappointed" to hear how the TN4 operators had appeared only to take the noise issue seriously once the licence review papers were served by the council.

A resident and a landlord complained at the hearing about sleepless nights and being unable to let or sell a flat because of the disturbance.

Alana Day, who moved in to The Depository complex behind TN4 in January 2012, told the hearing: "It's the disturbance of sleep. My baby cries out because of the music."

Landlord Nikki Luffingham, who owns a flat in The Depository, told the committee: "I am on my third set of tenants who can not live in the property and cite the stress of living under such conditions."

Both complained about karaoke until 1am on a Sunday.

Ms Luffingham added: "There is no respect to the residents. To have to open that amount of hours is just untenable."

TN4 owners Nigel Pooley and Simon Crouch told the meeting there had been two previous managers, whose contracts had been terminated quickly and they had confidence in new and experienced manager Tom Burgess to resolve the noise issue.

They offered to put sound limits on the amplifiers and Mr Burgess said they could create a softer-textured outside area to stop noise ricocheting in the alleyway behind.

After hearing the ruling, Mr Burgess told the Courier: "We are definitely not here to ignore the problems. We are here to face up to them. We have made mistakes in the past and we want to put that right."

Talking of losing a total of nine hours music playing, he said: "It will affect us but it is something we are going to have to live with and it could be an opportunity in itself, to make avenues work."

A review of the licence "after a reasonable interval" can be applied for by licensing officers.