A controversial licensing application to extend the hours of a Tenby nightclub has sparked a flurry of furious letters opposing the proposal, with one neighbouring resident even claiming that they had seen ‘more violence in Upper Frog Street culminating from the premises’ than they ever did growing up in rough areas of Liverpool.

The application to extend the opening hours at the Prince of Wales, located in Upper Frog Street, is set to be determined at a meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing sub-committee tomorrow (Friday) at County Hall in Haverfordwest.

The venue has submitted a ‘variation of premises licence’ application, referring to the hours which licensable activities occur and the hours the premises remains open to the public, including - a variation of recorded and live music, from 7 pm to 4 am; variation of sale by retail of alcohol from 7 pm to 4 am; variation of hours to the public between 10 am and 4.30 am.

Tenby Town Council, as a consultee on such applications, recently hosted a special meeting, at their offices in the De Valence Pavilion, with comments from residents and business owners welcomed.

The Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Laurence Blackhall, commented that there had been a very strong response from residents against the application, with over 15 letters opposing the extended opening hours submitted.

Residents also outlined their concerns verbally over the existing operation of the premises, giving examples of anti-social behaviour and noise nuisance caused by customers of the nightclub.

A number of letters of objections have been sent to PCC’s licensing department as well, ahead of the meeting at County Hall.

One set of residents living in the vicinity of the club, stated they were objecting on the grounds of ‘crime and disorder, public safety and prevention of public nuisance’.

“These have been continuous issues for us for 28 years now and with each new proprietor the problems just get worse,” they wrote, explaining that customers leaving and entering the club ‘smoke, drink and shout’ and at times are involved in ‘lewd and obscene conduct’.

They even stated that a few years ago whilst Cadw were carrying out work on the historic town walls to the rear of their flat, two extremely drunk men who had just left the club climbed the scaffolding and stood outside the bedroom window at 2.30 am, as a bet whilst waiting for their taxi, wondering how they were going to get back down.

“The noise doesn’t stop when the music does, not that it finishes on time - we then have to wait for everyone to leave, the staff to clear up, bottles being emptied into large bins either in the alley between both us and them or on the South Parade,” they continued.

“As I type this letter this evening I am listening to Sweet Caroline being sung on the karaoke machine in the Twisted Shamrock, part of the Prince of Wales nightclub and I could join in and sing along word for word from the clarity and levels heard in the flat!”

Some residents have also written to point out that as the street is in the conservation area, too many properties are restricted to still having single glazed sash windows.

“It is astounding that such behaviour is allowed to happen in the middle of a conservation area, which is protected in all sorts of other ways to make sure it remains in good order,” wrote one property owner.

“The very loud music, late night exiting from the premises, smoking outside and general bad behaviour in the street is a constant nuisance to our tenants,” they continued.

“Several of our tenants as well as being unable to endure the loud music have also complained about the constant noise of stationary police cars with their engines running, taxis arriving and departing, and continual bad behaviour and loud noise in the street outside of our property, which often continue well past 3 in the morning. We also suffer from these people being sick, fighting and urinating in our doorways!

One business owner who lets their property out as a holiday rental wrote that guests are ‘staggered’ that such a place should get a license beyond 1 am in the morning, in the town centre of a ‘quaint tourist destination’ that sells itself as family resort with seaside entertainment and sporty endeavour.

“You don’t expect drunken louts all through the night clubbing - this is Tenby, Pembrokeshire...not Magaluf or the Student Union in Bangor even!” they remarked in their letter of objection to PCC.

“It is utter nonsense to suggest that having extra licensed time at the Prince of Wales will allow its customers to disperse more safely and prevent crime and disorder. Very obviously they will have had another hour or two to get even more drunk and obnoxious and residents will have even less sleep!” they added.

The Mayor of Tenby, recently remarked that the amount of letters opposing the application from residents and businesses in the locality was a “significant indication” of the concerns.

Members of the town council, who unanimously objected to the application, also stated that they were concerned that the representations made to them by local residents appeared to raise issues regarding the existing operation and management of the premises.

“After considering the matter, Tenby town council concurs with the concerns expressed by the local residents and business owners that any increase in licensable activities to 4 am is bound to impact on the residents’ right to quiet enjoyment as the proposal will extend the period people will be outside the premises for smoking purposes and accessing and egressing the premises far later into the morning hours,” wrote the town clerk Andrew Davies in correspondence to PCC’s licensing manager Mark Elliott.

“Furthermore, from correspondence we have received, it appears that there are also matters involving anti-social behaviour connected to customers of the premises which could also be likely to be extended later into the morning.

“As such Tenby town council feel that approving this application in this instance would fail to meet the licensing objectives regarding the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety and the prevention of public nuisance as set down by the Licensing Act 2003,” he added.