PLANS for a York pub to stay open until the early hours have prompted protests from local residents.

Certificate 18, a live music venue on Gillygate, has applied to City of York Council for permission to remain open until 2am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and until midnight on Sundays to Wednesdays.

The pub also wants an additional ten minutes drinking up time.

But the proposals have been greeted with strong protests from some people living nearby.

Chris Wood, who lives in nearby Portland Street, said there were already severe problems of noise as people arrived at and left the pub, and he feared the problem would simply continue until as late as 2.30am if the proposal was approved.

He said: "We get people yelling and shrieking their heads off, but this is a residential area. People are trying to sleep.

"Most of the properties in Gillygate have people living above."

He said people had known when they bought their homes that there were pubs in the area, but they had believed they would at least shut at 11pm.

Another resident, Wendy Shepherd, said she feared an extra three hours drinking time would lead to extra drunkenness.

"It would extend such problems into the early hours when families are trying to sleep," she said. "I think drinking hours are quite long enough."

Coun Brian Watson, whose Guildhall ward includes Gillygate, said: "I am concerned about disturbance for local residents.

"There are a lot of residents in that area." He feared the problems caused when people left the pub at 11pm could simply be put back to 2am

But duty manager Chris Faulkner said he did not believe opening later would lead to any significant extra noise problems, saying many people were already walking home along Gillygate at 2am after attending nightclubs in the centre.

He said the pub was a big live music venue, and customers had indicated they would like the bands to be able to play on later.

He said noise from music was not a big problem in the area, and that notices urged customers not to disturb residents as they left the premises.

News of the application comes as the council's licensing committee prepares to meet on Friday to consider its first late licence application, for Wetherspoon's Postern Gate pub in Piccadilly. Another late licence application has also been made for the Swan in Bishopgate Street.

Updated: 10:22 Wednesday, May 18, 2005