A lack of consultation over a licensing application has been blamed for an ongoing dispute in Farnham.

The case has been seen as a warning as the Government considers removing the statutory requirement for alcohol licensing notices to be advertised in print local papers.

In Lion and Lamb Yard, The Luxe, a Mediterranean restaurant and bar which opened in 2023, has been at the centre of a long-running row between neighbours and management after complaints of live music, noise and late-night disturbance.

In June, the landlord withdrew permission for The Luxe to trade and the venue was forced to close. But the restaurant management appealed and the venue later reopened. A final decision will be made at a hearing in Winchester next month.

One resident, who has lived nearby for more than a decade, said the issue originated from not being made aware of the venue’s licensing plans until after it opened.

He said: “We were never consulted by any council about the restaurant coming next door. If residents aren’t aware of what’s being proposed, they can’t raise concerns until it’s too late.”

He claimed the venue’s opening brought “noise, pollution and incidents outside the premises”, adding: “What is supposed to be a luxury restaurant has turned into a nightclub.”

The Luxe’s manager, Jan Hasan Kaya, said the business has always cooperated with the council and worked to stay within its licence.

“People have said there is too much noise, but we have worked with the council to measure it and they have taken no further action,” he said.

“This is the town centre, of course there is going to be noise, and people walk through Lion and Lamb Yard after going to pubs and restaurants.”

The dispute has highlighted the importance of transparency in licensing, as the Government seeks hospitality venues to apply for or amend alcohol licences without publishing notices in local newspapers.

Critics fear that if such changes go ahead, residents may never see applications that affect them and could lose the right to raise objections before decisions are made.

News Media Association chairman Danny Cammiade, who is also chief executive of Tindle Newspapers, which owns this newspaper, said: “Removing alcohol licensing notices from local papers would leave communities shrouded in secrecy. Ministers must abandon this misguided plan.”

He said local newspapers provide “a highly trusted and independent environment” for public notices, and that printed versions remain vital for people who cannot easily access information online.

The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee has warned that around 10.2 million adults — about one in five in the UK — still lack the digital skills to find such notices online.

NMA chief executive Owen Meredith added: “Pubs and local papers go hand in hand. They are community hubs, rooted in place, fostering connection, and acting as a glue that binds neighbourhoods together.

“Yet the Government’s misguided proposals for secret alcohol licensing notices would damage local community cohesion by making decisions around hospitality venues less transparent, ultimately harming both pubs and local papers.”