A MALVERN bar has been granted permission to extend its opening hours, despite opposition from residents.

James Philpotts and Iesha McIntosh, both of Malvern, gave an empty Link Top venue a new lease of life when they opened The Cave last September.

At the time the Worcester Road venue was granted permission for opening hours of 10am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10am to 11pm the rest of week.

Mr Philpotts and Miss McIntosh applied for a change in the hours, so that they could sell alcohol and play recorded music between noon and midnight between Sunday and Thursday, and noon and 2am on Friday and Saturday.

The application was considered at a hearing of Malvern Hills District Council's licensing subcommittee, held yesterday.

The committee heard there had been 11 objections, with people raising concerns about the added noise, and potential for crime and disorder.

One objection letter said: "I have young children who are regularly woken up by drunk people coming home, and I would prefer if another late licence wasn't granted."

Another wrote: "I object on several grounds including the increase in noise and disruption late at night - early in the morning - which would negatively impact on the amenity of local residents."

Adrian Guest, of Oxford Road, a very close neighbour of the property, spoke to the committee and said he accepted the owners had made an effort to soundproof the bar, but his objection was based around noise still coming from the bar.

"On Saturday night - it was St Patrick's Day I do accept that - but I still have a right to live in my flat without that noise," he said.

"I ended up going round at 10.30pm, and asked for the sound to be turned down.

"The sound does resonate through the building - I do have a need for sleep.

"I am at the end of my tether."

Councillor Tom Wells questioned Mr Guest over his evidence to the committee, asking about monitoring equipment and the results when Mr Guest had reported the owners to Worcestershire Regulatory Services over the noise issue, as well as Mr Guest's calls to the bar to turn the sound down.

Mr Guest said equipment had only so far been used to monitor the noise from an extractor fan, which found no issues, and he reported the further noise was being investigated.

He claimed three calls to the bar on Saturday night about the noise went unanswered, but in response the owners said this "couldn't have happened".

Owner Mr Philpotts said: "We have received a number of letters of support with regards to the latest application.

"People have said they wanted to watch sports that are of a later start time. We have had quite a few requests for the NFL, and boxing - which is normally on later.

"That is our main purpose for wanting to extend our opening hours.

"It's purely so that we can stay open for a couple of extra hours, so we can show sport later if we wish to - we are not even intending to open (later) every weekend.

"If people make requests for sport, we have to turn them away."

Cllr Wells questioned the owners on their experience in the bar trade, to which Mr Philpotts said this was a new venture, and their experience was limited.

"We try to do as much as we can to stop disruption to our neighbours," he added.

After nearly an hour of deliberations, committee chairman Councillor Dean Clarke reported that permission for the licence hours extension had been granted, with conditions that there be no recorded music after midnight, and entry is prevented after midnight.

Cllr Clarke said: "We have sympathy for objectors and the applicant. We really are sympathetic, especially as its young people setting up a business, and making it succeed.

"On the other hand we don't want it to discommode your neighbours.

"Basically we are going to allow you an extension for your stated needs, for your customers to watch sport activities, so we will extend the drink licence.

"We see no need for music after midnight, so we are not going to extend the music licence after midnight."

Following the decision, the owners said they were happy with the decision.

Mr Philpotts said: "It is a new business, we are building it up. We have done as much as we can already to try and help prevent any disorder."

Miss McIntosh added that they aimed to be a sports bar, stressing they would "not be a nightclub".