A NEWPORT venue’s plans to hold a late-night Easter weekender have been refused, following a licensing committee meeting today.

Robert White, the owner of the Atlantica Cafe Bar at Market Street, applied for a temporary order to sell alcohol and provide regulated entertainment between 10am and 6am on April 3, 4, and 5.

Mr White also wished to extend the opening hours of his fast food restaurant, Snack Attack, next door by an extra hour to 5am over the weekend.

Gwent Police objected to the temporary event under section 104 of the Licensing Act 2003, fearing an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour as a result of the extended opening hours.

A licensing committee made up of cllr Alan Morris, cllr Cliff Sulley, and cllr Charles Ferris, of Newport council, decided not to grant the temporary order.

Chairman cllr Morris said: “Newport is in a unique position of having all its clubs in a 250-yard radius of the city centre.

“In the 90s, we had a scenario where 14,000 people dispersed out onto Westgate Square. It was like the Chartists marching down Stow Hill.

“Everyone wants a thriving city centre, but I struggle to see how the application will enhance the aims of the Licensing Act.”

Open since September 2013, the two-floor venue currently holds a premise licence under the Licensing Act 2003, which permits the retail of alcohol and entertainment from 10am until 4am on Friday and Saturday and 10am until 3am on Sunday.

At the committee meeting, Robert Stewart, the manager of the venue, said that with other nightclubs in Newport having extended opening hours, he feared what might happen if the application was turned down.

He said: “This is an older crowd at a quality venue and we share a lot of our clientele with the Cross Keys pub. There are no cheap promotions and it’s not aimed at youngsters.

“There’s a pressure on smaller venues like ours to deliver, following the closure of Delilah's and Linekers. We have more customers than we can cater for and we’re just trying to cover our overheads and help improve this city.

“By closing at 3am, a lot of customers will now go on to a second premises on Sunday.”

PC Rachael Honey-Morris, licensing officer for Newport, said: “The owner runs the premises really well. There's a cafe culture there, but we’re not on the Mediterranean.

“It’s a problematic area on Market Street and an area we police quite heavily. There were 182 crimes recorded in Market Street in the last 12 months.

“Officers are still making arrests at 8am and it’s better to clear the 3am crowd before the 4.30am and 6am crowds, rather than all of them together.”