COUNCILLORS have rejected a request for a bar in Winton to be able to open until the early hours of the morning on weekdays.

Buffalo Bar owner Tom Russell had hoped to win permission to extend the closing time of the Wimborne Road premises to 1.30am.

But, following concerns from people living nearby and ward councillors, members of a BCP Council licensing sub-committee refused to allow changes to its licence at a meeting on Tuesday.

Mr Russell, who also owns The Four Horsemen, The Anvil and another branch of Buffalo Bar in Lansdowne, was given permission in November for 2.30am closing times on Fridays and Saturdays.

This came despite more than a dozen people opposing the move.

Earlier this year he submitted a new application requesting a 1.30am closing time for the remaining days of the week.

However, two objections, saying the change would cause them “misery” with potential increases to noise and anti-social behaviour, were submitted to the council.

Their objections prompted a decision to be made by councillors on Tuesday.

Representing Mr Russell at the meeting, solicitor Philip Day said: “There have been no issues with the Buffalo since last year – it’s a well-run establishment which causes no problems.

“If there was, how come no people who live right next to it have stood up and said it?

“They certainly made their voices heard when we were here last year.”

Views of ward councillors Chris Rigby and Simon Bull on the latest proposal were split with the latter warning it would “increase noise, rowdiness and drunken behaviour”.

Speaking on Tuesday, Cllr Bull said allowing the bar to open into the early hours of the morning would disturb families living nearby.

“The main issue is not with the behaviour of the bar, it’s people leaving the bar and making noise on their way home,” he said. “This is why it was restricted last year when the licence was first considered.

“If you have a licence this late you can’t prevent these sorts of issues happening. You will have noise going on right through the night.”

After more than an hour debating a decision, the sub-committee agreed to refuse the later closing time but approved an earlier opening time of 10am.

Chairman Cllr George Farquhar said: “The extension would be contrary to the licensing objective of prevention of public nuisance.”