A nightclub’s bid to extend its opening hours has been refused amid concerns over disorder and public safety. 

K2/ Union in Consett, County Durham, applied to stay open until 3am but had its plea refused at a Durham County Council licensing meeting on Tuesday. 

The Front Street venue is currently allowed to stay open until 2am despite the nearby venues, Chaplains and Singers, being allowed to open until 3am. 

James McDonald, premises licence holder, applied for the extension to improve the nightclub’s appeal, which attracts crowds after nearby pubs and bars have closed. He said: “We look to put a lot more events on. The venues can run but not with a profit. Something has to be done to maintain trade.”

K2/ Union in Consett, County Durham, applied to stay open until 3am but had its plea refused at a Durham County Council licensing meeting on Tuesday. K2/ Union in Consett, County Durham, applied to stay open until 3am but had its plea refused at a Durham County Council licensing meeting on Tuesday. (Image: Google)

However, Durham Constabulary warned extending the Front Street venue’s opening hours would be “totally unnecessary” and argued there are more than sufficient premises open nearby until 3am. The licensing hearing was told Chaplains has “the monopoly” of late-night revellers in Consett after the closure of Bar 1 earlier this year. 

The Chaplains and K2 venues were closed in 2021 following incidents of disorder. Both later reopened with reduced opening hours, but Chaplains then had its hours extended to 3am. K2/ Union is currently able to stay open until 2:30am on Boxing Day and bank holidays. 

But the police warned officers have been called to several incidents linked to the venues this year. PC Iain Robertson said: “This hasn’t come without costs. Since the granting of Chaplains’ 3am licence, there’s been a 40 per cent increase in calls to Durham Constabulary post 2am. Of those 12 incidents, 10 related to violence and disorder.”

Durham County Council’s Environmental Protection Team also warned of the impact the extended opening hours could have on people’s wellbeing and said nearby takeaways could apply to open longer. 

Tim Robson, representing Mr McDonald, told the committee that staff would work with local authorities to reduce the amount of incidents near the venue if the extension was granted. “We will introduce whatever measures possible to ensure that noise is kept down,” he said. 

“We are actively willing to work with the police to ensure the premises operates without undermining the licensing objectives.”

But Durham Constabulary remained unconvinced by the venue’s proposal. Sgt Caroline Dickenson said: “We feel that should another bar be granted a later licence it opens the floodgates and leads to a domino effect where more and more bars want to open later.”

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The force’s view was supported by the committee, which voted not to extend the opening hours. Licensing committee chair, councillor Carole Hampson said: “The hours you have asked for are outside of the licensing framework and we feel granting this extension would not promote the licensing objectives. 

“Both the responsible authorities, environmental health and the police, have put forward very strong reasons why this extension should not be granted and we feel their objections have merit and should be listened to. 

“The changes that were put to us today differ from the original application and we found this unfair, as the responsible authorities did not have the chance to consider and respond under the policy.”