Music could soon be playing at Frinton's first town centre pub if brewery giant Shepherd Neame gets its way.

Under planning conditions imposed when the controversial Lock and Barrel was given the go-ahead, music cannot be played at the Connaught Avenue pub.

Recently, there were complaints when the pub played some sounds during Frinton Music Day.

Now Shepherd Neame has pledged not to play any more music until talks with Tendring Council officers are completed.

But the brewers hope to be able to relax the conditions and allow for background music to be played in the former site of Blowers and Cooper ironmonger.

A spokesman for Tendring Council said: "We haven't actually received any complaints about music at the pub but we have talked informally with the brewers about the possibility of applying to vary the planning conditions."

The fight against the pub was led by the influential Frinton Residents' Association - but association spokesman Len Brooks said the group had not complained about the noise.

But he added they had been "bitterly disappointed" with the pub and felt it was not what it had been promoted as being.

The Shepherd Neame spokesman said: "We believe we have a good relationship with the residents of Frinton as well as the local authority.

"We don't wish to jeopardise either relationship by commenting further about this situation except to say that there will be no music at the Lock and Barrel until permission is granted and it seems rather ironic that only a couple of weeks ago staff at the Lock and Barrel won a cup for the best window display during the Frinton Music Festival."

He added: "Shepherd Neame are now in negotiations to have the music restriction removed."

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