Neighbours have shown support for a Kingston pub's plans to keep its terraces open later into the night.

The Albert Arms opened lower and middle terraces in 2024 by extending onto part of its car park, as more customers wanted to eat and drink outside after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pub, run by Young's, now wants to keep these terraces open for an hour longer, meaning they would shut at 10pm instead of 9pm, after finding the current hours "restrictive".

The venue submitted an application to Kingston Council to make the changes, which received five letters of support from neighbours. Locals said the pub was well managed and the extended hours would help it continue to serve the community.

One supporter said: "All in all The Albert is a great asset to the road and let's face it, pubs need our support to remain… it not only provides a hub for the community, it creates employment and makes the area a safer place."

Another resident wrote: "I think this is a great idea, 10pm is not late, it is not a noisy vibe, it is a very well-run pub with responsible patrons and a firm favourite of locals."

Resident Simon Prentice, who has lived near the pub since 1997, described the venue as "an asset to the community" at a licensing hearing on Tuesday (April 21).

He said he had not experienced any noise or nuisance from the pub, while its recent revamp had been "spectacular". Mr Prentice said: "I'd like to ask the council to support these sorts of pubs, how many are we losing?"

advertisement

He added: "It's a real struggle for pubs to stay open and we really need to put our weight behind them, lend our support and keep this essential aspect of British culture alive."

The application received one objection from a neighbour, however, who said they were disrupted by customers leaving the pub. They raised concerns extending the opening hours of the terrace would mean they were disturbed by noise later into the night.

Solicitor James Anderson, representing the pub, said there had been no complaints about noise from the terraces since they opened, and they would continue to be well managed if the plans were approved.

He said shutting the terraces at 9pm was restrictive and was causing the venue to lose business. He said the "proud community pub" was popular in the area and wanted to give locals the chance to stay out later and enjoy the sunshine when it arrived.

Mr Anderson said: "It's a small change in terms of hours, it's just an extension of an hour, but I think significant for the business because it will mean that customers can sit out there for an hour longer and enjoy the sunshine."

The council will publish its decision on the plans in the coming days.