Plans for a new drinking spot in Stratford have been given the go-ahead despite council chiefs admitting there was 'considerable' opposition to the scheme.

Stratford District Council’s licensing sub-committee met on Thursday to consider whether to allow the Chicago Rock Café to open in Greenhill Street.

After a full day’s deliberation the council has provisionally backed the scheme, but environmental health officer Steve Newman has revealed that owners Luminar Leisure will have to meet several strict conditions.

He said:

"The sub-committee granted them a public entertainment license on the grounds that they satisfy some agreed conditions in addition to the obvious standard ones.

"These will be things like car parking provision, which has been a point of contention, and also the installation of CCTV as this area of town is currently not covered."

Newman admitted that the length of the meeting reflected the fact that the application was far from a straightforward one.

He said:

"We had a petition with over 100 signatures on it from local residents and also the police force were objecting to the licence being granted.

"The main concern seemed to be noise and disturbance as there are several bars in that part of town and it can become a bit of a magnet for congregation at the end of nights out.

"I think with a Yates’s Wine Lodge and Bar M in such close proximity to the new bar people did not see the need to add another location."

Immediately after being granted the public entertainment licence Luminar Leisure, based in Boston, Lincolnshire applied to magistrates for a liquor license and that case will be heard on 22 July.