PLANS to extend the opening hours of a Winton bar have been partially approved by councillors.

Members of Bournemouth council’s licensing sub-committee gave the go-ahead for the Buffalo Bar to stay open until the early hours on Fridays and Saturdays at a meeting on Tuesday.

The former Hop & Kilderkin pub in Wimborne Road, Winton, is re-opening as Buffalo bar

Bar wants to extend its opening hours - but residents fear "intolerable" rise in crime

However, following concerns from residents about the impact a later closing time could have, they refused to extend its weeknight hours.

More than a dozen members of the public had objected to the proposals put forward by the bar’s owner, Tom Russell, to open until 1am on weeknights and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Under its previous licence, the former Hop and Kilderkin was required to close two hours earlier.

Mr Russell said that customers wanted to stay until later and that the licence application was in response to that demand.

However, residents and ward councillor Simon Bull, said that the later hours would increase anti-social behaviour in the area and the level of disturbance to residents.

Speaking at the licensing meeting, Cllr Bull said: “Granting this application would change the nature of Wimborne Road and will cause further disruption into the night.

“If people want to stay up late, there are plenty of other options in the town. This will affect those who live in the area.”

However, representing the bar owner, solicitor Philip Day said that Mr Russell, who is also the chairman of the area’s pub watch organisation, had a proven track record of responsibly managing late-opening venues across the town.

As well as running another Buffalo Bar in Lansdowne, he also owns The Four Horsemen in Commercial Road and The Anvil in Lansdowne.

“When he opened the original Buffalo, exactly the same concerns arose,” Mr Day said.

“Mr Russell ran the previous Buffalo Bar for almost 10 years in almost exactly the same way as is being proposed here and their fears didn’t come to pass.”

The council’s senior environmental health officer, Matthew Taylor, had originally objected to the proposals but withdrew his opposition following the agreement of several conditions to manage noise from the bar.

Members of the sub-committee agreed to allow the extended weekend hours but said that the residential nature of the area surrounding the bar meant that they had decided to refuse an extension to weekday hours.

Its chairman, Cllr Andrew Morgan, said: “We have to balance that this is a premises which is largely in a residential area.

“Our view is that Sunday to Thursdays are school nights and so there will be no increase from 11pm.”

He added that the hours would be increased on Fridays and Saturdays when the impact on residents would be reduced.

Mr Day said that it was unlikely that they would appeal the council’s decision.