Plans for 60 flats in the middle of Brentwood risks having a “catastrophic impact on the viability and long-term future” of an adjacent pub – the country’s leading brewer has argued.

The plans to knock down William Hunter House 10, 12 and 20 Western Road and replace it with a three to five storey apartment block comprising 60 residential flats associated vehicle access on-site was passed last night by Brentwood Borough Council’s planning committee.

But Greene King – the country’s leading pub retailer and brewer – which owns The Swan public house close to the development say the development poses a risk to its viability – there are several bedrooms and living rooms on each floor of the development that will be located close to pub garden and car park area where up to 100 customers could congregate until 1am at weekends.

Greene King argues that even with noise mitigation measures being planned Brentwood’s environmental health department will receive “constant and persistent complaints” about noise and disturbance from the pub and in particular due to customers in the beer garden, bins being emptied and early morning servicing and deliveries.

A statement read out on behalf of Greene King at the planning committee on March 15: “Based on Greene King’s extensive experience in situations like this if planning permission is granted with this scheme it is likely to have a catastrophic impact on the viability and long-term future of the pub which will come at risk of failure in the future.

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“Common sense says that locating residential properties including bedrooms with opening windows and doors and balconies directly adjacent to and on the property of a well-used pub beer garden car park and customer service access routes is likely to result in major problems for all concerns.

“In this case the premises and outdoor areas have a license and can be used until midnight on any day of the week.

“Based on experience in numerous other sites our clients know that once the properties are occupied both the pub Greene King head office and the council’s environmental health department will receive constant and persistent complaints about noise and disturbance from the pub and in particular customers.

It added: “Put very simply the scheme is not appropriate and the residential property is far too close to the pub and in particular its beer garden and servicing area.

“We thus urge members to refuse planning permission for this scheme and required to be redesigned with residential properties positioned significantly further from the boundary of the pub beer garden and car park.

“If approved constant complaints about noise and disturbance in the pub will result in the council’s environmental health officers coming under pressure to curtail the The Swans premises license.

“Any change that curtails a license and restricts the use of outdoor areas will prejudice the pub which in the long term will affect the viability and risk failure of the business in the longer term.”

David Carter, environmental health officer acknowledged the department will have to investigate any complaints.

He said “There’s nothing that we can do to stop them complaining about if they wish to do so whether they’ve got a valid complaint in terms of the noise levels um we would have to still investigate.”

However chairman of the planning committee Councillor Thomas Bridge said conditions had to be put in place to give protection to the pub.

He said: “I’d also just like it to be made absolutely clear to the purchasers of any of these properties they are moving next door to a pub and those of us who serve in the licensing condition on the committee have had the experience of dealing with people who are in houses have been built since the pub has been built.

“And to a certain extent it should be a case that if you’re moving into this property you have to acknowledge the fact that the pub was there first and deal with it.

“How you put that into a suitable planning and legal languages I think is something we should take offline.”