Objectors fighting plans by The Vault in Alsager to extend its licensing hours say the council would be giving the go-ahead for a late-night bar near family homes.

They also said The Vault had been forced to demolish and rebuild an extension which didn't comply with planning regulations and claimed management had not stuck to agreements made at a previous licensing hearing.

"What we have is a history of promises made, promises broken and that is why I have grave concerns," said objector Chris Morgan, who lives to the rear of The Vault.

Mr Morgan was speaking at this week's meeting of Cheshire East's Licensing Act sub-committee, where councillors were considering the application from Bradley and Julie Lancaster for their licence to run from 9am to 11pm on Monday to Thursday and from 9am to 12.30am on Friday, Saturday and Sundays which are followed by a bank holiday.

Other Sundays the venue would close at 9pm.

Originally the applicants had sought later hours but they told yesterday's meeting they wanted to align the licensing hours with opening hours recently agreed by planning.

The application for the building, which was formerly a Barclays Bank, also sought to remove a condition stating children had to leave the premises by 9pm.

Mr Lancaster told the hearing: "All we're asking for is to open a few extra days in the week and to extend the odd hours here and there mainly because of the way hospitality is.

"Obviously everyone is struggling."

He added: "There's a lot that we've brought to Alsager and the town.

"In just a short space of time we've invested hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds."

The applicants described The Vault as a 'licensed restaurant'.

But objectors argued the plan is for a late-night bar.

Dave Naylor, who lives in a nearby house, told the hearing: "We're concerned about this extended licence application because The Vault did not comply with the existing conditions of their licences."

He said he had complained several times about noise from the venue and from staff congregating and smoking in the car park close to houses.

Mr Lancaster later told the meeting they weren't his staff members.

"We expect all these difficulties will only be exacerbated by the increase in opening hours to turn the venue into a nightclub," said Mr Naylor.

He added: "We didn't buy a house next to a nightclub… and we might be forced to consider moving if the application is approved."

Objector Mr Morgan disputed the claim The Vault is a restaurant.

"Why would anyone shut a kitchen at 9pm and then stay open to 12.30am, because you couldn't serve any food for three and a half hours," he said.

"That's a bar, not a restaurant, surely."

Mr Morgan told councillors, the trained security staff 'discussed at great length at the last meeting, have simply melted away'.

"The dedicated smoking area has been ignored…"

Alsager resident Sue Helliwell said she doesn't live near the site but was objecting to the application to remove the existing condition which only allowed children on the premises until 9pm.

"The kitchen closes at 9pm, why would you want a child under the age of 18 to be in there until half past 12 at night while you are getting intoxicated? "said Mrs Helliwell.

"This is harmful to children, there could be anti-social behaviour."

The committee is due to publish its decision on the licence application within five working days.

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