THE manager of a Kendal town centre pub has raised fears about the future of the business after it was ordered to keep the noise down following complaints from a neighbour.

The Rainbow Tavern, on Highgate, has been slapped with a noise abatement order by South Lakeland District Council.

It means no customers will be allowed in the beer garden from 10pm to 8am and if noise levels remain too high it could be forced to buy a device which would cut off the pub's electricity if the decibel level rose too high.

The karaoke machine must also be turned down low after 11pm and there will be limits on when the fire doors can be used, said Sara Kenrick, the pub's manager.

"Times are changing," she said. "If we want customers at a weekend we have to have some sort of karaoke or music or otherwise people will go elsewhere

"Look at how many pubs are shutting down. This isn't going to help the scene if one person can influence us like this so much.

"If people aren't allowed in the beer garden, where are smokers expected to go? That's going to put a lot of customers off.

"When you move into a house you are meant to look at the location and I don't think it's the right attitude to move close to a pub and then expect them to bend over backwards for you."

Ms Kenrick said she had held a meeting with the concerned neighbour in November where they discussed ways to keep the noise down - including putting signs up in the beer garden.

She then sought advice from Environmental Health and made further changes in a bid to find a solution.

"Everything I have been told to do I have done and yet now I have been given this order," said Sara. "I really think this is unfair."

A SLDC spokesperson said the notice was served under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 following an investigation.

"The notice prohibits the recurrence of the noise nuisance and specifically requires that the occupier of the premises prevents noise breakout from the premises from live and amplified music," he said.

"The occupier does have a right of appeal against this notice, but if an appeal is submitted the conditions of the notice would continue to apply until such time as the appeal is abandoned or decided by the court.

"Failure to comply with the notice could result in prosecution under Section 80(4) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990."