Seven Liverpool city centre bars and clubs could extend their opening hours until 4am under plans that will begin to be considered by councillors today.
However, the proposals are set to face heavy opposition from local councillors and some neighbours worried about the effect of such a move on noise, crime and anti-social behaviour.
Five of the premises will go before members of the council's licensing and gambling sub-committee throughout Thursday, with the other two facing meetings in a few weeks.
Bars and nightclubs, like the rest of the hospitality industry, remain closed under coronavirus restrictions but multiple stages of reopening could eventually see them functioning in the summer, though it is not known in exactly what way.
Now, a bar owner in Liverpool has applied to the council to extend the opening hours of a number of their venues ahead of the planned reopening.
To see news from your area, enter your postcode below.
Pub Invest Group wants Einstein's, Boston Pool Loft, McCooley's, Lago, Dirty O'Shea's, Sgt Pepper's and SOHO to be able to open later into the night, extending their opening hours.
The exact changes to each premises licence vary but all would see their opening time extend to 4am.
The proposals have previously caused anger among some, including Riverside ward councillor Steve Munby.
Speaking to the ECHO earlier this month, he said the plans were "madness".
He said: “It’s really alarming to see these applications going in for an extension till 4am.
"I completely get the desire of the hospitality industry to recover from the impact of the pandemic, but this is madness.
"I remember the scenes in the autumn of large crowds of people leaving bars and clubs around Concert Square creating super-spreading events.
"The numbers of people with coronavirus spiked dramatically.
"There is no way back to the way things were and this is an effort by large chains to double down on what we had. I hope the licensing committee rejects the applications on public safety grounds alone."
Councillor Munby has formally against the different applications, as has fellow Riverside councillor Hetty Wood.
Both will have the chance to speak against the plans at the meetings later today.
Responding to councillor Munby's comments at the time, Pub Invest Group said they were "disappointed".
MIke Edwards, Operations Director for Pub Invest Group, said: "This is not an ill thought out, knee jerk reaction, following what has clearly been a difficult time for the hospitality industry. This is a result of a long period of discussions and consultations with both the licensing authority and Merseyside Police, which all started prior to this pandemic.
“Yes we have applied to extend the operating hours on some of our venues to bring us in line with our competitors in these areas of the city centre. We are talking for one hour here, from 3am to 4am., not as this may look from the outside as a leap from 10pm (curfew hours) to 4am."
Members of the council's licensing and gambling sub-committee will consider the applications for Einstein's, Boston Pool Loft, McCooley's, Lago and Dirty O'Shea's today, with decisions normally published within a week.
The applications for Sgt Pepper's and SOHO will follow in mid-April.
.jpg?w=600)
