THE future is finally looking brighter for the owners of Minehead's historic Queen's Hall as the threat of legal action looks set to be lifted by district councillors next week. Kate and Marcus Kravis had been told they would be prosecuted by West Somerset Council for allegedly breaching conditions imposed when planning permission was given to convert the former music hall into a public house. The council had stipulated it must give written permission before work began on the conversion of the 90-year-old building to ensure a raft of conditions designed to control noise and odours from the premises were met. However, planning committee members were previously told that the conditions had not been complied with and a neighbour had consistently complained about noise permeating through the walls of the building into the living accommodation above The Strand café next door. Now members of the council's planning committee will be asked to discharge legal proceedings as senior officers believe the couple have taken sufficient action to meet the requirements of the original permission. Ian Timms, the council's environmental health and licensing manager, will tell councillors that the couple had now "satisfied" planning conditions. A report to next Thursday's meeting by planning officer Nigel Furze states: "The question that arises is whether the requirements of the planning condition have been fulfilled, even though there is still noise audible in the adjoining property. "The advice from the council's environmental health and licensing manager is it is now to a point where the noise levels are considered to be acceptable, but it is still anticipated that complaints from the occupier of the adjacent residential property may continue. "In view of this recommendation there do not now appear sufficient grounds to pursue this matter through the courts as a breach of conditions. "It would not, therefore, be practical or expedient to consider further use of enforcement action on this matter." The news comes after more than two years of protracted negotiations with the authority, but Mr and Mrs Kravis still have to wait for the outcome of a separate licensing panel hearing before the council. The authority has already warned it might consider restricting live entertainment and sound from the venue's 'big screen' and a new set of conditions seem likely to be imposed on the couple's premises licence when the panel meets in the near future. Mr and Mrs Kravis have already installed a state of the art speakers and sound management system to control and limit noise at the pub and have also installed sound insulation. Mr Kravis has long maintained that the Queen's Hall had been used as an entertainment venue for live bands and cinema since 1914 and was situated in a commercial, not a residential area of the town. He has also said the premises were now "a vital cog" in the tourism facilities on offer in Minehead, as well as proving popular as a multi-purpose venue for local events. Now the pub's future is finally looking more secure - providing councillors agree with the recommendation of their officers. Mr Furze's report continues: "The failure to comply with the original planning condition has taken considerable time and effort to pursue, resulting in a number of reports being presented to the planning committee. "It has to be accepted that the specific requirements of this condition have not been strictly adhered to as full details have not been submitted for consideration prior to any works being carried out. "Instead, there has been a process of installation and testing carried out, which has seen a reduction in noise being transmitted from the Queen's Hall in to the living accommodation above The Strand." Mr Timms will also tell councillors "appropriate conditions" are being considered for the couple's premises licence relating to the use of a noise limiter and "control of the big screen". A date has yet to be set for the licensing panel meeting.