PLANS to open a new eatery in Lymington have been given the go-ahead - despite dozens of objections to the scheme.

Licensing chiefs have approved a proposal to revitalise the former Wytes restaurant and bar in Gosport Street, which closed in September last year.

Locals had opposed the application, claiming it would result in excessive noise and anti-social behaviour.

One of the 29 people who sent letters of objection to New Forest District Council was Gosport Street resident Margaret Bach, who claimed the properties suffered from poor soundproofing.

Referring to problems that had occurred in the past, she said: “My life was made a misery with loud noise percolating throughout my home.

“I complained several times to the council. They stopped the live music but seemed incapable of reducing the volume of recorded music and other sounds to an acceptable level.”

Fellow objector Gillian Comfort, of nearby Trafalgar Place, added: “Residents have been plagued for years by anti-social behaviour and excessive noise.

“It’s a listed building in a conservation area and is not fit for purpose. The windows are not double glazed, the garden backs on to private dwellings and the sound insulation is insufficient.”

Another resident said she had been forced to endure the “nightmare” of people drinking at all hours, vomiting on the pavement and urinating in people’s gardens.

She added: “Several of us had to move out of our homes to get some sleep on balmy summer nights when the noise was so bad.”

The application, by London-based V G Ventures, said the proposed new restaurant aimed to attract a “more mature clientele”.

It added that a booking-only system in the evenings would enforce the licensing objectives more effectively, ensuring there was only “minimal disruption” to local residents.

Now the application has been approved following a two-hour meeting of the council’s licensing sub-committee, chaired by Cllr Goff Beck.

A council spokesman said: “The applicant explained that his intention is to operate the premises as a restaurant, with the focus being on food rather than purely a drinking establishment.

“His intention is for it to become a good, well-managed restaurant. He does not intend to tolerate inappropriate behaviour.”