RESIDENTS have blocked plans for a village bar to stay open until 2am.

But councillors yesterday allowed No 10 Bar and Kitchen in Lindley to keep serving for an hour more at weekends.

Kirklees Council’s Licensing Panel made the decision after landlady Nikki Schofield said she was keeping “the rough Lindley lot” away from her pub.

The bar had been allowed to serve until midnight seven days a week.

Ms Schofield asked Kirklees to extend this to 2am.

Twenty-three residents signed a petition against the extension plan, saying it would “create disturbance at an unacceptable hour”.

Clr Christine Stanfield spoke on behalf of objectors at yesterday’s meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall.

The Lindley Lib Dem said: “The current hours are causing a significant disturbance.

“This is a residential area and the proposal to stay open until 2am is simply not suitable.

“It would fit into the current night-time economy in the centre of town but not this particular part of Lindley.”

Clr Cahal Burke also spoke against the 2am proposal at yesterday’s meeting.

“The residents have concerns about the level of noise and they have reported that the bar appears to be open beyond the time it’s allowed to be open,” said the Lindley Lib Dem.

Ms Schofield told councillors she would settle for earlier than 2am.

“I realise now that I probably asked for too much and I’m quite willing to compromise,” she said.

Ms Schofield added that she had tried to run an upmarket venue since opening the bar on December 17 last year.

“I’ve put up notices because I don’t want the football lot. I don’t let them in now, I’ve got more discerning customers,” she said.

“I’ve made it a pleasant environment, rather than the rough Lindley lot who want to come in.”

Jenny Heir, who lives next door to the bar, told the panel: “We don’t want to stop a good business, we wish it all the best. But we don’t like the noise.”

The panel decided to allow the bar to serve alcohol until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, with half an hour drinking-up time.

From Sunday to Thursday the licence will remain as it is, with last orders at midnight.