Jobs fear over music restrictions at Leven pub

Marviks can no longer play music after 11pm after the council received 54 noise complaints in a six month period.

But Ewan Brown, Marviks manager, said the bar has made a considerable effort to limit noise and fears the restriction could lead to jobs being cut.

“We are going to lose a massive amount of custom and I’m not sure if we’ll be able to survive it,” he said. “Jobs are on the line. We’ve already laid off one entertainer.”

At the Fife Licensing Board meeting last week, councillors were told that over the festive period a recording device was placed in a complainant’s flat, which confirmed on several occasions that the noise from the pub was “very intrusive”, according to the licensing standards officers.

The owners had previously been called to the board on a number of occasions due to noise complaints.

Mr Brown said thousands of pounds had been spent on trying to limit the amount of noise.

“Treble glazing was installed at the front of the building where the DJ plays,” he said. “After that, a sound engineer suggested a sound curtain because it helps buffer and absorb the sound. And underneath the booth area has been filled with protective sound foam.

“From day one we’ve wanted to resolve this. It looks grim that there has been 54 noise complaints, but they are not 54 legitimate complaints.

“We are constantly working to get this right.”

Mr Brown says the bar will be applying to get the licence extended again in the future.

But he says some of the complaints have been made when music is not playing and is concerned the complaints will continue even if the noise is sorted.

“In my opinion, once we’ve got the noise sorted they’ll just start phoning about something else.”

At the meeting last week, the board decided to continue one resident’s complaint until February to see if the current restrictions were sufficient.