Micro-pub plans for Dodworth High Street draw mixed response
Plans to open a micro-pub in a former antiques shop on Dodworth High Street will be considered by councillors after attracting a mix of support and concerns from residents.
An application has been submitted to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council for a premises licence at 30 High Street, where the applicant wants to create a small, community-focused pub with a rear courtyard.
After discussions with police and council officers, the proposed opening hours have been reduced. The applicant proposes to open the venue from 3pm to 9pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 2pm to 10.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 1pm to 7pm on Sundays, with the premises closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Alcohol sales would finish 15 minutes before closing each day.
Seven nearby households have raised concerns about the potential impact on neighbouring properties, including noise, smoking in the rear yard and pedestrian safety outside the premises. Environmental health officers have also objected on noise grounds.
Supporters of the scheme say the micro-pub could bring new life to the village centre, offering a small-scale alternative to larger venues and encouraging people to spend locally.
In response to concerns, the applicant has agreed to a range of measures, including installing a full CCTV system, limiting customer numbers, restricting outdoor drinking after 8pm, and commissioning professional noise and fire safety reports. Deliveries would be scheduled to minimise disruption, with smaller vehicles used where possible.
The application will be decided by the council’s licensing sub-committee later this month, which can approve the licence, refuse it or impose further conditions.