Bar wins battle to stay open

A new Stafford town centre bar and restaurant has won its bid for longer opening hours despite opposition from nearby residents.

The Yard, which opened less than three weeks ago, will now be able to open until 1.30am from Thursdays to Saturdays.

Twelve residents and Nexum Leisure Ltd, which owns the nearby town centre nightclub Zanzibar, objected to the plan.

The Yard, at Espley's Yard alongside the River Sow, is part of the new Riverside Walk leisure and residential development. Its parent group, Barracuda Pubs and Bars Ltd, applied to Stafford Borough Council for the bar to serve alcohol from 10am to 1am from Thursdays to Saturdays, with half-an-hour "drinking up" time. The original licence served until midnight.

It also applied to be allowed to serve until 2am on St Patrick's Day and Bank Holidays, instead of the current 1am. The council's licensing sub-committee granted the extended hours at a meeting yesterday.

Environmental health manager Mark Street said the council received 13 objections to the change in hours.

"The main reason for their objections is that it is alleged that there is already a history of alcohol-related vandalism, loud noise and violence in the area," he said.

But David Clifton, representing Barracuda Pubs and Bars, said residents' complaints related to a history of alcohol-related disturbance from Stafford nightspots which were nothing to do with the newly-opened riverside bar.