Residents living near Marlow town centre have claimed the town's drinking culture has worsened since the opening of a Wetherspoons, with some alleging an increase in anti-social behaviour involving young people.
The Grand Assembly Wetherspoon, on Market Square, opened in September 2024 and has quickly become a popular destination in the town centre.
However, residents living around West Street have expressed concerns about what they describe as a growing culture of excessive drinking among younger revellers, particularly at weekends.
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One resident said incidents of anti-social behaviour in the town centre had become increasingly common over the past year.
"It's happening more often than not," they said.
"Friday night, Saturday night, there's always something kicking off out there."
The resident claimed they had witnessed disorder involving intoxicated drinkers on a regular basis.
"Every other day you'll see somebody on the floor, with security holding them down waiting for the police," they said. "That was never the case before."
Another resident suggested a change in the demographic of people visiting Marlow's pubs and bars.
"Now it's more youngsters," they said.
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"They go to Wetherspoons, have a lot to drink because it's cheap, then they go to The Ship and that's when things kick off."
The residents stressed that not all young people were responsible for the issues, but said large groups of 18 to 21-year-olds regularly gather outside the Wetherspoons at weekends.
"If you walk outside Wetherspoons on the weekends, it's full of youngsters," one resident said.
"They're drinking themselves so much and then they go to other places."
The same resident said the situation had contributed to what they viewed as a wider drinking culture in Marlow.
"That's what it looks like. It's all youngsters really. Because the beer is so cheap in there, youngsters can afford it and then they go sailing with it."
Residents also said they were concerned about safety in the town centre, particularly for families and young people enjoying a night out.
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"It's sad to see kids acting silly and fighting among themselves," one resident said.
"You feel worried about your children going out and having a good laugh because it just doesn't look safe."
While some residents questioned whether pubs or police should be doing more, others said responsibility lies with everyone involved.
"You cannot just blame the police," one resident said.
"The police can only do so much. Security can only do so much. It's everybody's responsibility. When you go out, you have to know how to behave yourself."
Some residents speculated that cheap alcohol prices could be contributing to the issue.
"Maybe they're drinking too much in the Wetherspoons and they can't handle it," one resident said.
The residents' claims have been firmly rejected by Wetherspoons.
In a statement, the Wetherspoons said: "The Grand Assembly has been open since September 2024 and during that time, no complaints have been raised by the police or the council as to anti-social behaviour linked to customers of the pub.
"Like all Wetherspoon pubs, The Grand Assembly offers good value prices for both food and drink which attract a broad clientele.
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"Contrary to the urban myth, around 40 per cent of our sales are food, our highest-selling draught product is Pepsi, and we sell more coffee than Pepsi.
"This factor, combined with highly trained staff, CCTV coverage and the absence of music, leads to civilised behaviour both within and outside the pub, we believe.
"We also have well established procedures to meet our general licensing obligations, so that our pubs are a safe environment to visit and to work in, and so that they do not have a negative impact in the towns and cities where they are located."
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