MANAGERS in charge of a traditional village pub want a fair hearing as they hope to extend their opening hours.
Gerard Oliver, who runs the Red Lion in Tarvin, has applied to Cheshire West and Chester Council to extend the pub’s licence to allow trade until 1.30am on Saturdays and Sundays.
It is understood that the revamped George and Dragon, located opposite the Red Lion, has been granted the same licence to stay open later at the weekends.
But despite this, Tarvin Parish Council has objected to the Red Lion’s application and has vowed to send representatives to the future licence hearing.
Mr Oliver said: “We have had some opposition in the village from those saying we have applied for a 3am licence. We have confirmed on more than one occasion that we want a 1.30am licence.
“All we want is the same licence that was granted to the George and Dragon in 2007. We hope that in the interest of fairness and competition, our application will not be stopped by red tape and bureaucracy.
“It’s frustrating for me when I have to turn people away at night and see that it is packed across the road.”
The Red Lion has a chequered past including issues of anti-social behaviour but following a major refurbishment and a crack down on troublemakers, Mr Oliver says locals are returning in large numbers.
“We have worked so hard to make this Grade II Listed building a respectable establishment that serves the whole community. Most pubs have become gastro pubs and wine bars so it has been appreciated locally that we have kept it traditional. We also the only sports pub in Tarvin with facilities for teams,” he said.
The hearing will take place in Committee Room 2 at County Hall, Chester, at 10.30am on May 18.
