THURROCK councillors have approved plans for a pub to stay open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays despite residents warning the later hours would impact their "health and wellbeing".

Woodlands Edge in South Ockendon was granted permission to extend its opening hours, alcohol sales and recorded music licence at a three person Thurrock Council licensing sub-committee hearing on Wednesday (2 September).

The variation also allows the pub to stay open 30 minutes later during the rest of the week until 11.30pm.

A report detailing the application was presented to councillors Steven Pester, Eddie Stringer and Joanne Lisa Quirk by licensing officer Elizabeth Cox.

A petition signed by 34 people that accompanied a presentation by residents was not initially 'accepted' by the applicants because they had not been given a copy by the council. Licensing officer Paul Adams conceded the council had not forwarded it to the applicants, Greene King, to consider before the meeting. Having taken legal advice, meeting chairman Cllr Pester said the petition would be accepted by the committee, but it carried less weight because it had not been shared by the council.

Two local residents, who were not identified at the meeting, made representations against the application. They echoed residents' obkections highlighted in a recent Thurrock Nub News story.

One told councillors: "We live five minutes away from the pub's boundaries and granting to vary the license will impact our quality of life in terms of noise, mostly outside the beer garden area.

"Extending the hours on Fridays and Saturdays until 1am is totally unnecessary when it is a residential area.

"I can't see the benefit of extending licensing hours. We feel this will seriously impact our health and well being."

Thurrock Council's environmental protection team took a neutral position, noting only two noise complaints had been recorded in recent years, the latest in June 2025.

Residents were critical of the protection teams, saying they did not respond effectively to complaints about incidents that happened at the pub 'until it was all over'.

The case for the application was put to the meeting by a representative of Greene King who said: "The pub has recently undergone a six-figure refurbishment which is a real testament to the belief the pub company has for the site.

"We take complaints very seriously for the people living in the vicinity and we believe these conditions would be upheld."

The applicant's representative offered additional measures aimed at reducing nuisance. These include no entry or re-entry after 11pm, operating a dispersal policy and giving residents a phone number for the designated premises supervisor (DPS) and banning drinks from the garden after 11pm.

She added: "The restaurant closes at 9pm and we would have no children on site into the late evening."

"Regarding the recent refurbishment, new CCTV has been installed which is HD and we cover all angles including the car park. The CCTV is on a 30 day recorded limit."

The meeting was told that after 11pm, the garden will be used only for smoking, and drinks will not be permitted outside.

The planning meeting can be viewed via this link.