BOSSES of a wedding and conference venue have pledged to continue to work closely with the local community after it was granted permission to serve alcohol and play music until midnight.

Paul Rous, general manager at Bruisyard Hall, near Framlingham, said they were delighted to have finally been given the green light to bring them in line with their competitors.

Previously wedding receptions and events were held in a marquee by the hall but they are now held in a newly renovated ancient barn, which has been improved with insulation and double glazing.

The venue, which is owned by Robert Rous, was given planning permission by Suffolk Coastal District Council to change its use earlier this year – including a temporary license so it could continue to host weddings in the interim.

Magistrates at Lowestoft gave the green light to a full licensing agreement earlier this week, which will allow the venue to serve alcohol and play music until midnight, closing its doors half an hour later.

Meanwhile on 10 occasions a year this will be extended to 1am.

The initial applications sparked concerns in Bruisyard and even led to vandalism and anonymous letters being sent round the whole village.

Paul Rous said they had worked hard to ensure villagers would not be disturbed, which included drawing up their own noise and traffic management plans and installing their own sound system.

“We’re now looking forward to putting the previous issues behind us and focusing on what we set out to do – which is create a high quality venue,” Mr Rous said.

“The licensing agreement brings us in line with our competitors and that’s all we ever wanted to do.

“People will be coming here to get married, we’re not going to be hosting raves or a rock concert. We have already held five events and to the best of my knowledge there have been no complaints.”