Plans to allow drinkers at a town centre pub to use the beer garden later into the night have been met with concern from neighbours.

Ben Cuthbert, whose hospitality empire spans numerous bars and restaurants in Folkestone, is seeking permission to remove a restriction which says the rear terrace of The Pullman must shut at 10pm.

The landlord, who took over the Church Street venue in 2014, has admitted it took eight years before his staff learnt of the existing condition of the licence.

Despite this, the council has only received one noise complaint in that time, which was made by a person living nearby this summer.

Mr Cuthbert told KentOnline his businesses have always sought to be good neighbours, and he argues allowing people to leave the garden over a longer period of time means smaller crowds departing the pub in one go.

Ben Page-Phillips, who lives a few doors down from the pub, is one of the neighbours who have written to Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) expressing concerns about the amendment to the terms of the licence.

The 53-year-old café owner, who lives in Church Street with his wife and 12-year-old son, says he is "grateful" to have The Pullman on his doorstep but fears drinkers being outside until midnight.

"There's already a lot of late-night noise," he said.

"I don't understand the need to extend the garden hours. The longer it goes into the evening the more people have the chance to drink more.

"I am grateful to have them on my doorstep, but I'm not quite sure why it needs to be open that late."

Writing to the council in response to the application to vary the licensing conditions, one neighbour said: "It is often a noisy garden with a lot of shouting, shrieking, loud laughter and general noise of inevitably drunk people.

"It has a large capacity so can generate a lot of noise."

Another respondent said: "Some nights it has been so loud I have had to wear ear plugs."

Although the change to the pub's licence, which will be considered by the FHDC licensing sub-committee on Monday (November 14), would remove any restriction on garden use, Mr Cuthbert says the intention is to close it at 11pm.

"We have had one noise complaint in eight years," he said.

"In town, businesses have to work with people. We want to open it until 11pm, that garden is not very busy after 10pm.

"Businesses have to be able to expand and grow."