A PROMINENT conference centre has been given permission to extend its alcohol licence after hammering out a deal with villagers. Proposals to change the opening hours of the Lakewood Centre in Blagdon were met with petitions and angry letters of objection

A PROMINENT conference centre has been given permission to extend its alcohol licence after hammering out a deal with villagers.Proposals to change the opening hours of the Lakewood Centre in Blagdon were met with petitions and angry letters of objection by residents who feared for their quality of life.The company had said it wanted to sell alcohol from 10am-2am on Fridays and Saturdays and from 10am to midnight from Sunday to Thursday. It also wanted to provide live entertainment during those hours.Villagers claimed they had difficulty getting to sleep with the current hours, and believed an extended licence would keep them up into the early hours.But after nearly 100 people registered their objections, bosses at the centre in Rhodyate met with residents and amended the licensing application.The proposals were approved by North Somerset Council at a meeting of its licensing sub-committee, after the residents withdrew their objections.The centre has been given permission to sell alcohol from 10am-11pm every day of the week but is also now able to sell alcohol until midnight on 16 evenings during the year and until 2am on New Year's Eve. It can also provide entertainment such as live and recorded music within those hours.Speaking at the meeting on behalf of Rhodyate residents, John Harvey said: "We are trying to work with Lakewood, we have not had a very good relationship in the past and we hope it will improve and move towards an agreement on the new licence."North Somerset Councillor Ann Harley said: "We were pleased to see you have come together because it makes it so much easier from the council's point of view.