A PETITION has been launched urging City of York Council to block late-night drinking in residential areas when it assumes responsibility for licensing.

Residents were spurred into action by controversial plans for a 2am drinks licence for the redeveloped Barbican Centre by private operators Absolute Leisure, who are taking over control from City of York Council.

Licensing magistrates are due to consider the application at a three-day hearing next week. An initial application in November collapsed because legal notices had not been posted correctly.

More than 50 residents have formally opposed the application although police licensing officers have raised no objections.

Now petition organisers are hoping they can persuade councillors to turn down all late licences within residential areas if the local community opposes, when the authority takes over responsibility for awarding licences in November.

Heslington Road resident Margo Blanchard said she had already collected more than 200 signatures.

She said: "We already have more than enough traffic down Heslington Road in the middle of the night and students going home from clubbing.

"If the Barbican gets a late licence it is going to be all night, every night," she said.

"This is a huge concern for an awful lot of people across the city."

Mother-of-three Maria Dodd, who lives close to the Barbican, is also backing the petition.

"I feel that I live in a reasonably quiet residential area and if the Barbican licence is approved, it is going to mean my children are going to have a completely different lifestyle to the one we have now," she said.

"There is already a problem. The approval of these licences has to be done with for the residents and with a sense of responsibility.

"I am not against nightclubs, but not in residential areas. Residential areas are for people to live happy, normal, quiet lives."

A council spokeswoman told the Evening Press that residents' concerns would be taken into account by members of the licensing committee when considering applications.

She said: "The council is in the process of adopting a special licensing policy for the Clifford Street, Micklegate, George Hudson Street and Blossom Street areas, but we have had no representations about extending this to other parts of the city. However, we would consider any representations from residents in the Barbican area if we receive them."

Updated: 10:27 Wednesday, April 06, 2005