A decision to permit late-night live and recorded music to align with current drinking hours at a pub in Ilkeston has led local residents to announce plans to take the matter to magistrates court. During an Erewash Borough Council licensing meeting, councillors gave partial approval for an application to extend musical entertainment hours at The General Havelock establishment on Stanton Road. The venue already holds permissions to serve alcohol until midnight throughout the week, with extended hours until 12.30am on bank holiday Mondays, 1.30am on bank holiday weekends, and 2.30am on New Year’s Eve. Before this decision, all musical entertainment was required to stop at 11pm, according to Derbyshire Live. Mark Lloyd, who acquired the pub two-and-a-half years ago, informed the meeting he had invested almost £250,000 in renovations and improvements. He explained the venue currently offers only a jukebox for musical entertainment, available at no cost to customers, but this must be switched off at 11pm when patrons typically depart very quickly. Objection letters highlighted that nearby Victorian and Edwardian properties provided minimal insulation against sound transmission, with music traveling readily throughout the neighbourhood and outdoor activities becoming problematic during summer months when windows were open. Councillors sanctioned extending indoor music hours to mirror existing alcohol permissions, but limited outdoor music to 11.30pm on bank holiday Mondays and 12.30am on bank holiday weekends and New Year’s Eve, with windows and doors required to remain closed from 11pm daily. Stanton Road resident Chris Taylor addressed the hearing, stating the pub’s location sits in a heavily populated residential zone with Victorian properties offering very little protection from noise. He noted families проживающих nearby need to wake early for work and this would impact their employment due to sleep disruption. He contrasted music with traffic noise, describing the latter as more consistent while describing karaoke sound as horrifying caterwauling. Mr Lloyd, from Ilkeston, who reopened the premises in December 2023, stated karaoke was awful and had been a previous management decision they would not repeat. He expressed desire to collaborate with neighbours, mentioning expenditure of almost £250,000 on improvements including new double-glazed windows, and emphasized wanting the pub to serve the community, having received strong backing. He stated it was not their establishment but belonged to patrons and those who use it, noting the current requirement to cease music at 11pm resulted in immediate mass departure, comparable to changing into nightclothes and turning off lights. He declared commitment to the area for the long term and pride in achievements with more work planned. Councillor Frank Phillips, presiding over the meeting, acknowledged resident concerns regarding noise disturbance but noted no objections from the council’s environmental health department or police. However, due to the proximity of neighbouring houses, a full grant of the applied hours risked breaching licensing safeguards, resulting in partial approval. Mr Taylor responded afterward that this outcome would inevitably generate additional complaints. Meanwhile, Mr Lloyd said they were satisfied with the decision, understood the modifications and supported them. Leigh Fretwell, residing behind the establishment with a six-month-old infant, has lived nearby for eight years through three different pub name changes and stated the venue had not improved overall. While welcoming its return to operation, he expressed the business model was harmful to the area, calling it terrible. When questioned about appealing to magistrates court, he stated they had no alternative, continuing to suffer financial losses as property values declined.