THE future of a village pub near Newbury is uncertain after concerns from neighbours and the police that the pub would be too noisy.

The White Hart Inn, in Hamstead Marshall, has been closed since 2015 but reopened last week.

Stella Coulthurst, the owner of the 18th century pub, recently applied for a premises licence but Thames Valley Police said it has concerns over noise and how late the pub would stay open, which was echoed by neighbours.

Mathew Maggs, who lives next to the pub, objected to the application. He said: “We’re really happy the pub is open again. But we hear when people leave the pub. It can be very loud and we have young children.

“Shouting and bad language can be heard. Also, when parties are on, the music is very loud. Any extension to normal pub hours would make this unacceptable.”

The original application proposed staying open until 2am. However, the police said this would mean having to employ door staff, as well as 18 other conditions placed on the licence.

Ms Coulthurst said the conditions were ‘jaw-dropping’, but later agreed to revise the opening times, closing earlier. She also said most nights the pub would close early, and the late licence was only needed for weddings and special events.

Councillor Anthony Stansfeld, the ward member for Kintbury, said: “It’s council policy to support rural pubs. The White Hart has been a pub for 200 years, and it has gone through a very difficult time — a lot of rural pubs have.

“We have to be very careful not to put the same restrictions on a rural pub as we would a pub in the middle of a town.”

The application was considered on April 2 by the licensing sub-committee of West Berkshire Council. The committee will decide within five days whether to grant the licence or not.

Cllr Stansfeld said: “If you live next to a pub, you have to expect some noise. It’s not a new pub, it’s probably much older than the houses that surround it, and certainly much older than the people who live in those houses.”

The revised closing times were 11.30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, midnight on Tuesdays, and 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Ms Coulthurst said: “I think 11.30pm is reasonable. I should be delighted if people are still there at 11.30pm drinking to keep this pub open.”

The pub has nine ensuite rooms for guests to stay, and a microbrewery on site where it brews beer for customers.