OBJECTORS have lost a fight to stop a third Marlborough venue getting a late night club licence with entertainment lasting until 1am on three nights a week.

Last Thursday, Kennet's licensing committee heard from objectors before granting the Royal Oak a public entertainment licence to 1am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Members of the committee chaired by Coun Chris Humphries were reminded that two other establishments in the High Street, the Green Dragon public house and the Rendezvous nightclub had the same late hours.

Neighbouring residents in High Street and in Back Lane complained that while they tolerated noise from the pub until 11am it was too much to expect them to put up with their sleep being disturbed until 1am.

Marlborough Town Council objected because of the disturbance to neighbours and said it would discourage people living in the High Street.

Former Kennet chairman Tony Gray, who lives above his Ducks toy shop business, said: "Ever since the modernisation of these premises (the Royal Oak) it has been noisy but acceptable because it has finished at 11pm."

Mr Gray said the pub had installed a new rear terrace and the prospect of music until 1am within 100 feet of his bedroom window was daunting.

The former Kennet and town councillor, also a former mayor, added: "KDC adopted a policy of 'living over the shop' several years ago to encourage the use of unoccupied space. The granting of this application seems contrary to this policy."

Leading Chamber of Commerce member Jackie Dicks who lives behind the Tudor Tea Rooms which she owns, said music from the pub could be heard in her home.

Mrs Dicks wrote: "The disturbance goes on frequently until 11pm and I feel that it would be completely unacceptable for this to continue until 1am."

Back Lane residents Eileen and Clyde Nancarrow said: "We already experience some disturbance from the Royal Oak but have largely accepted this as we have chosen to live in the town centre.

"However, we believe it would not be reasonable to expect us to accept the increased disturbance from what would amount to another nightclub on our doorstep."

Mr and Mrs Nancarrow said it was a mixed neighbourhood and people were actively encouraged to live in the High Street and above the shops.

Peter and Lyn Goodwill from Back Lane wrote: "We consider that any extension of the hours on the lines proposed would have a most detrimental effect on the amenity of a quiet residential neighbourhood."

Joint licensees Valerie Seal and Malcolm Johnson were represented at the hearing by solicitor Tim Davies who pointed out that Kennet's own environmental health officer John Knight had no objection to the 1am extension.

Mr Davies said Ms Seal and Mr Johnson were quite happy to comply with special conditions proposed by the council including maximum occupancy of 310 and the installation of a noise limiter to the satisfaction of the council's environmental health department.

The licensing panel was told that acoustic secondary glazing had already been fitted to the pub's rear windows as requested and the rear doors opening into the garden had been acoustically treated.

Mr Johnson gave an assurance that the rear doors would not be open at all while entertainment was taking place.

The licensees also accepted a condition that within six weeks of the licence being granted they had to have a working CCTV system installed to cover the main entrance and the street outside.

The extended hours were granted as requested with an additional condition that the environmental health officers carry out regular checks until the pub's public entertainment licence comes up for its annual renewal in August.