PLANS for a music, dining and drinking venue, offering "something different" in late- night entertainment in a town centre, has been given the go-ahead.

Work will start soon developing the £1.4m Chicago Rock Caf in a former car showroom in Chester-le-Street.

Luminar Leisure, which says it is the country's largest night-life operator with 275 venues, has overcome objections to be given a licence for the premises.

The Luton-based company was expecting to encounter opposition at a contested licence hearing to be held at Durham Magistrates' Court yesterday.

But the hearing was cancelled after objections by local people were withdrawn.

It emerged last night that when notification was received of the withdrawal of those objections the licence was granted by justices.

Luminar now plans to go ahead with the new-build development once demolition of the former premises is complete.

The company was refused a licence for a similar venue in the former Palladium cinema in Claypath, Durham, earlier this year, following objections from the police and local residents.

Police objections were restricted to the location and not the concept.

Luminar director Steve Dennis pledged at the time that the company would be back to bring the Chicago Rock Caf concept to the Durham and the Chester-le-Street area.

Speaking last night after confirmation was received for the new licence, Mr Dennis said: "All the permissions are now in place and it means we can get on with the building once the demolition is finished on site.

"We've met the police and the council and I'm delighted to say we've been able to deal with the fears of neighbours, both residential and commercial.

"We've given them confirmation that we'll be a good neighbour."

Mr Dennis said he hoped that the premises would be open within a year, bringing a mix of 50 full and part-time posts.

"We're absolutely delighted to have this great site in Chester-le-Street," he said.

"We've done our market research and it shows that many people feel disenfranchised by what is on offer at the moment."

Mr Dennis said Chicago Rock Cafes, which open from 11.30am to 1am, offer American-style entertainment with an emphasis on dining and dancing.

They cater for the over-25s, as the music is from the 1957 to 1986 era.

Other Chicago cafes in the area are in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool.