A NIGHTCLUB in Caerphilly county borough wants to extend its opening hours despite the police and local authority warning against it.

Blisters in Bargoed currently stays open until 4am on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays before Bank Holidays, Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

Permission is now being sought by owners Enterbizz Limited to keep the venue open for an extra half hour on those days, though the alcohol licence will not be extended.

The licensing application also asks for music on the venue’s first floor to stay on until 4.15am on Friday and Saturday – 45 minutes later than currently allowed.

Alcohol will still be sold until 3.30am but there are concerns that longer opening hours could contribute to already high levels of alcohol-related disorder in Hanbury Road.

South Wales Argus: A view of Hanbury Road. Picture: Caerphilly councilA view of Hanbury Road. Picture: Caerphilly council

There were 100 police callouts to the area on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between April 1, 2018 and March 12, 2019 – almost 10 per cent of the 945 incidents recorded across Bargoed.

A quarter of all callouts to Hanbury Road were linked to Blisters, according to Gwent Police.

"It was felt that the extended operating hours would add to the alcohol related disorder and increase the likelihood of a disturbance within the nearby residential vicinity," says a report.

READ MORE: Man assaulted outside Blisters Nightclub in Bargoed

But having a longer “cooling down” period between last orders and the doors closing would improve the way revellers are filtered out on busy nights, according to Enterbizz.

The application reads: “Having an extra hour from the alcohol and smoking area would avoid putting large groups out on the streets at once, helping to avoid antisocial behaviour in the high street.”

As the application does not seek to extend the alcohol licence, the owners say they would not be making any more profit if the premises licence were to change.

Gwent Police and Caerphilly council officers remain opposed to extending the club’s opening hours but plans to close the smoking area by 3.30am were welcomed.

Other conditions which have been agreed by Enterbizz include closing the club’s second floor at 3.30am, improved CCTV monitoring and incident recording.

Caerphilly council’s licensing and gambling subcommittee will consider proposals to extend the club’s opening hours on April 29.