POLICE will be unable to fight plans for a real ale pub in Durham because the site already has a drinks licence.

National chain J D Wetherspoon, whose pubs have no music or TV screens, is seeking planning permission from Durham City Council to convert the former Cheltenham and Gloucester Building Society, in North Road.

Last year, Thornfield Developments' plans to open a caf bar in the distinctive building were rejected because councillors feared it would increase late-night trouble in the area.

The developers won a drinks licence from the city's licensing panel, despite police objections over the impact on residents, but the plans came to nothing.

A police spokesman said: "We did object but the objection was over-ruled and that is it. There is no further objection we could make.

"It will be a case of Wetherspoons acquiring the licence. As far as the drinks licence issue is concerned, it is a dead end.''

The City of Durham Trust has yet to discuss the planning application, but its secretary Dr Douglas Pocock said he thought trustees would raise concerns about the application.

"It is certainly a better application than the previous one in that there is just one floor for drinking and eating, and so the disturbance to residents in Tenter Terrace would be reduced.

"They are also keeping the whole facade at the front,'' he said.

Dr Pocock said that the trust was concerned about the "sheer surfeit'' of plans for licensed premises in the city.

Plans in the pipeline include a theme bar for the Robins Cinema, in North Road, the conversion of Brown's Boathouse next to Elvet House, and an eating and drinking house in the old police station.

Eight caf bars are also planned in the £21m Walkergate leisure development that will part fund Durham City Council's Mil-lennium City complex.

The City of Durham Trust objected to the renewal of the provisional drinks licence for the eighth of the Walkergate establishments, a 600-capacity caf bar, but the application was approved last week.

Wetherspoon was refused permission by Durham council last year for its plans to open a pub in the 70-year-old former Palladium Cinema, in Claypath