An influx of applications for longer opening times is expected from pubs and restaurants in Brentwood when the council takes over responsibility for licensing at the beginning of next year.

Crucial discussions on the council's future licensing policy have got underway at the Policy Board amid fears that the relaxation of drinking laws will lead many premises to seek to open longer and later.

From February next year the council will take over licensing responsibilities from the courts when much anticipated new laws finally come into force allowing pubs to apply to open up to 24 hours a day.

In informal discussions with the council around 70 per cent of licence holders indicated they will apply to extend their opening hours.

Assistant manager at The Litten Tree, Simon Bradley, said longer hours were vital so that Brentwood could compete as an evening venue.

He said: "Longer opening hours would help keep people in Brentwood rather than forcing them to go off to Chelmsford or Romford because they can drink later there. If you go to Edward's in Chelmsford half the people in there are from Brentwood!

"Brentwood has got a good atmosphere and statistically it has not got a problem with trouble. I don't think longer hours will cause any more trouble."

A spokesman for Mitchells and Butlers, which operates six pubs in Brentwood including O'Neill's, said: "We will look at each individual business and will take a decision later in the year."

Published Friday July 23, 2004

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