A SOCIAL club in a residential area has been allowed to extend its opening hours, despite objections from residents.

However, drinkers at Elm Tree Social Club, on Bishopton Road West, in Stockton, will still not be allowed to drink outside its Pavilion Bar after 9pm.

The social club committee had applied to Stockton Borough Council's sub-licensing committee to open its Pavilion Bar from 9pm to 11.30pm each day - with last orders at 11pm - and there were hopes it could be used as a venue for social events.

However, about half of all residents living nearby objected to the application on the grounds of noise and one lifetime member of the club and a former committee man said there had been incidents of people urinating close to be neighbours houses.

The committee, sitting at Stockton Town Hall today (Monday, July 20) heard that there are young families living nearby and many older and infirm people live in bungalows neighbouring the club.

Their complaints were backed up by the council's environmental health unit, who said the Pavilion bar and grounds were too near homes and there would be noise problems. Cllr Julia Cherrett also backed the residents and obtained signatures from eight households giving her authority to object to the plan.

But Mike Vaines, a licensing consultant acting for Elm Tree Social Club, told the committee that there had been no complaints from neighbours to the club's committee, no objections from the police and there would be extra policing as well as CCTV coverage.

He added that the average club member is a responsible person aged in his or her 50s and there was a clear procedure for dealing with members who acted unsociably or outside the rules.

He said: "The club believes it is a good neighbour and has never received any complaints. If the club is not made aware of any concerns it is hard to do anything about it.

"The allegation of urinating outside is hard to believe. That has been made by a committee man of 15 years and he would have known identification would have been possible with CCTV and the club can reprimand or expel anyone for incidents like that or foul language. But it can't if not made aware of any concerns."

After the committee's decision was made Cllr Cherrett said she was disappointed that alcohol would be allowed in the Pavilion until 11pm. She said there were a lot of older and ill people in the area and a young family with an eight-year-old and a four-year-old who could be affected by an increase in noise.

However, she welcomed the fact that drinking would not be allowed outside after 9pm.