RESIDENTS in a Tredegar street have spoken of their relief after a local pub’s application to extend its licensing hours was rejected.

On Thursday, Blaenau Gwent’s general licensing sub-committee rejected an application by David Richards, owner of the Inn Place in Market Street.

The application was for a variation of a premises licence to extend the licensing hours in respect of the provision of entertainment and the sale of alcohol, and to extend its opening hours.

The proposal would have seen the pub remaining open an extra hour, until 1am Monday to Thursday, instead of the current midnight, and until 2am rather than the current 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. It would also have seen them supply alcohol and play music for an extra hour,

But residents on the street wrote letters to the committee objecting to the plans, saying that there was already anti-social behaviour happening during the pub’s current opening times.

The residents, five of whom attended the meeting and put their case forward, claimed revellers regularly caused a noise disturbance, vandalised property, smashed glasses, urinated and once even defecated in the street.

The residents told the committee in both their letters and in their oral submission that users of the Inn Place left the premises and caused damage to cars parked in the street, including deliberately smashing wing mirrors.

One letter said: “The drunken behaviour of those arriving and leaving the building is ridiculous. They are shouting and screaming at all hours of the night and congregate in large groups outside the building.”

Mr Richards told the committee: “I find the whole business of antisocial behaviour very disturbing. I do not condone it at all. I have been involved in the running of pubs in Blaenau Gwent since 1998 and I have always cooperated 100 per cent with the authorities.”

He added that he was “surprised” by the instances cited, as there had only been a “handful of instances in the last 18 months when police found it necessary to visit the Inn Place.”

Supervisor of the Inn Place, Clive Michaels, added that he felt in Inn Place was unfairly being blamed for the anti-social behaviour of people visiting all the local pubs, not just theirs.

Speaking after the meeting, resident Sue Oldham said: “I think I speak for all of us when I say we are relieved. Things are bad enough as it is.

“We don’t want bad feeling, but there needs to be mutual consideration.”

She added residents will meet with Mr Richards to discuss their concerns.