ONE of the district’s most popular tourist attractions has been granted a licence to host live events and serve alcohol – but not as late as its bosses wanted.

The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway had applied to Bradford Council for a licence that would allow Oxenhope Station, the line’s terminus, to host events through the year.

The station already hosts some events, such as an annual beer festival, but these are run on a temporary licence – which can only be used 21 days a year.

The railway had applied for a permanent licence to sell alcohol at the station until 11pm on Thursdays and Fridays, midnight on Saturdays and 10pm on Sundays. It would also allow “regulated entertainment” such as live music to run the same hours, and to sell “late night refreshment” between 11pm and midnight.

The events would be held in the rail shed at the station.

However, there had been a number of objections to the plans from people living near the station, who said the beer festival often led to late-night noise, and that a permanent licence could make the area unlivable.

They said the shed building was not built to absorb sound, and music often kept neighbours up until the early hours.

Members of Bradford Council’s district licensing panel met to decide on the application. Nobody from the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway attended.

Members were told there had been seven objection letters from residents, three of whom attended the meeting.

They said they did not object to the alcohol licence, but did have concerns about the licence to hold events.

Richard Scullion said: “One recent event went on until 2am – I could still hear it with my windows closed.”

Sean Longhorn said: “They aren’t able to manage noise pollution from the events they already hold. When they have an event in the shed building you can hear the music through the entire valley. This is a heritage railway, not an entertainment venue.”

Ernie Lambert said the beer festival was an annual event, but added: “If they are granted the licence this could be every Saturday – the beer festival wouldn’t be the exception to the rule, it would become the rule. We’re not trying to curtail the railway, we just want them to allow us to live a normal life. We do understand they need revenue, and it is a good tourist attraction, we just feel residents are being taken for granted.”

Members decided to grant a licence, but with reduced hours compared to what the railway requested. They voted to allow the sale of alcohol from 10am until 10pm Thursday to Sunday, and for entertainment to run from noon-10pm Thursday-Sunday. They refused the application for late-night refreshment between 11pm and midnight.