THE Oakcliff Holiday Park, Mount Pleasant Road, Dawlish Warren, was granted a premises licence to open its clubhouse from 8am-1.30am by Teignbridge Licensing Act Sub-committee, on Thursday last week.

But Laird Gerrard, representing Lady's Mile Development Limited, assured residents the owners had no intention of opening until late every day. He said it was to give flexibility for occasional functions for the public, mainly in the winter and including wedding parties, and these would be few.

The licence allows regulated entertainment of music, dancing and the sale of alcohol between 10am-1am. A condition will limit the off-licence opening until 11pm at the holiday park. Mr Gerrard said the Mews Club was a small bar with a stage for entertainment for campers.

'The intention is that it will only open until 11pm each and every night for members on the campsite or their bone fide guests. 'The reason for the 1am application is that there may be a function which would be open to members of the public,' he said. Referring to worries about noise from residents, Mr Gerrard said the holiday park was for families and it wanted people to behave themselves because they wanted them to come back again the following year.

Teignbridge Council licensing officer Val Bunclark said there had been negotiations between the police and applicants and it had been agreed a cctv system would be installed. She said the police had therefore withdrawn their representations. The hearing heard that 70 residents had signed a petition objecting on the grounds of public nuisance and there was one letter of objection.

Resident Denise Edmunds, who chose not to make a statement but to answer questions, said residents were concerned about party-goers making a noise at 1am. 'There has never been an extension there. It has always closed at 11pm and we are worried about it being open to members of the public, which will present problems.

'None of us are young who live there and we want to be safe and not be worried about youngsters running all over the place,' said Mrs Edwards. Later, after listening to Mr Gerrard's assurances, Mrs Edmunds said as long as it was not open until 1.30am every day and the public was not going to be allowed to flow in and out, she was happy with it.

The chairman, Cllr John Holl, said the sub-committee was satisfied on the balance of probability that, in all the circumstances, including the conditions the committee intended to impose, the premises would not create an unreasonable disturbance to residents. 'We are satisfied that if noise levels become unacceptable in the future it can properly be addressed through the council's environmental health department,' he said.