THE firm behind a bid to keep a venue open until 3am has promised not every event will go on into the early hours.

Colchester Amphora Trading, a company set up by Colchester Council, has been given permission for a new premises licence for Charter Hall.

The venue, which is part of Leisure World in Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, hosts a number of events including annual gin festivals and boxing nights.

The licence application asked for an additional four hours in the morning and two hours in the evening, from Sunday to Thursday, and an additional three hours on Friday and Saturday.

It also asked for an additional hour on a Saturday morning and two hours on a Sunday morning for the sale of alcohol, live and recorded music and anything of a similar description.

Colchester Civic Society objected to the bid. Georgia Tamblyn, speaking on behalf of the society, told a meeting the council “should be setting an example”.

James Young, operations manager at Amphora, said: “We want to operate a variety of events, correctly managed, safely managed for the people of Colchester and to attract people to Colchester.

“Charter Hall is a venue for all. Just because it says 3am on licence doesn’t mean we are want to run every event until that time.”

Councillor Mike Hogg raised concerns about the sale of alcohol which could be taken off site. He said: “We don’t want to find ourselves in a situation where a group of youngsters park in the Range car park, wander over to an event get some booze and wander back and cause a nuisance.

“Will there be a situation like this in the evening? How to you qualify for off sales?”

Mr Young said: “The events we organise at Charter Hall fundamentally take place on Saturdays or Sunday or occasionally on Fridays. The retail sale of alcohol only takes place as part of that event.

“A good example would be a Christmas fair. You’d have to be able to gain entry, pay entry or go into the event to be able to buy alcohol from that event. We have all the usual restrictions as if it was alcohol to be consumed on the premises.”

The committee agreed to approve the licence with the exception that the sale of alcohol to be taken off the premises was only between 9am to 8pm Monday to Sunday.