COUNCILLORS and people living near pubs who are forced to endure drunken activity, should be more involved in licensing decisions, says a householder concerned by antisocial behaviour.

Graham Jones will address Oxford city councillors at their monthly meeting on Monday, to ask for more democracy in licensing applications.

His calls follow the signing off by city council planning officers – not councillors – of three planning and licensing applications for the James Street Tavern, off Cowley Road between November 2018 and February.

Pub operators should be ‘applauded’ for renovating the pub, he will say.

But Dr Jones will say a beer garden at the back of the pub, between James Street and Crown Street, has disrupted the area.

Even though it is close to Cowley Road, it has been rowdier than expected and disturbed residents, he claims.

He will say: “There are young children growing up in these houses and people in old age.

"People in Crown Street already have their fill of noise and bad behaviour from The Swan.

“At the James Street Tavern recently, a drunken party of men outside the pub left after two hours’ rowdiness, openly urinating on cars, walls, and in the middle of the road.

“A resident of Crown Street says they fear now having noise and disturbance in front of their house and at the rear.

"No council notices of the applications were posted in Crown Street, just one outside the pub.”

Referring to a popular Danish pleasure garden, he will say the impact of the changes approved by the city council is "a sort of Tivoli Gardens in the middle of a residential neighbourhood, with all the attendant noise and glare".

Greene King said it rented the pub to new management late last year.

The previous landlord left in early December and was replaced by the team which ran the Old Bookbinders in Jericho.

Residents had been concerned the pub was going to shut for good after it appeared to have ‘sporadic’ opening hours. The pub chain had said it would remain open.

Dr Jones will give his address at the Oxford City Council meeting at Oxford Town Hall on Monday from 5pm.