Pub boss in pledge to bring back trees

A LANDLORD who wants to extend his village pub says he is planning to plant new trees to cut down on potential noise problems.Chris Maclean, who runs The Woolpack Inn at St Georges, wants to build two extensions to house new toilets and an extended bar area. He plans to match the brickwork on the new and old parts of the building so its character is maintained.Mr Maclean also wants to start a planting programme to ease the fears of residents who are concerned that he has recently taken out several trees from around the pub.Mr Maclean said: "We have done everything possible to keep the pub as it was. "In the area where the trees were, nothing had been done in the garden for years."The trees that were removed blocked out all the light to the bungalows at the back of the pub and people asked me to remove them. The five trees were also resting on the building and causing a danger."We do have a tree planting programme to reinstate the greenery we were forced to remove."North Somerset councillor Ann Harley wants the local authority's south area committee to look at the application to extend the pub in Sheppards Way. She claims people living nearby are already being disturbed by drinkers leaving the pub.She said: "Since the trees were taken out residents say there is more noise."Residents hear deliveries being made and people leaving at night so we need to look at all these issues within the whole application."No date has yet been set for the application to go before North Somerset Council's south area committee.