CONCERNS have been raised by a city councillor over proposals to extend the opening hours of a Southampton micro-brewery.

The Crafty Fox, on Portswood Road, only opened in August, but now wants to serve punters up to midnight at the weekends – despite this late opening time being refused when the original application was submitted.

Owners have also applied to create an outside seating area.

However, Councillor Matthew Claisse, member for Portswood, has voiced issue that these alterations could create late night “noise and disturbance” for neighbouring residents.

Yet neither Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire Highways, or the city’s environmental health team have raised any objections.

The variation of the licensing condition has been earmarked for approval. They include new opening hours of 7am to 11pm from Monday to Wednesday, 7am to 12pm, Thursday to Saturday, and 9am to 11pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

Currently the pub, which took over the former Costa coffe shop, is open from 11am to 11pm daily.

Cllr Claisse said: “The later closing hours would be excessive compared to other similar premises. Such long hours would lead to noise and disturbance to nearby residents, affecting their amenity.

“The outside seating would also allow drinking on the high street, block the pavement and risks anti social behaviour. This was why it was refused previously.”

However, pub owners say that, since it has been open, no instances of anti-social behaviour, noise or disturbance have occurred as the pub is “aimed at people not associated with such behaviours”.

They add that other nearby pubs and bars within the area, such as the Wild Lime, The Mitre, The Richmond Inn and the Gordon Arms, are allowed to trade until midnight on certain nights, and by restricting opening hours of their pub until 11pm would “represents a significant commercial disadvantage”.

Nevertheless, local resident Rosalind Rutt, of Russell Place, was another to voice her concerns.

She said: “The proposed extended hours of opening are excessive – 17 hours a day on three days a week, starting at 7am until midnight, longer than those of other licensed premises in the area.

“The effect of increasing the opening hours until midnight on three days of the week, and the provision of outside seating on the narrow pavement, would be very likely to lead to additional adverse effects on local residents which would be completely unacceptable.

“It is simply not reasonable to allow such late night hours of opening for a drinking establishment located close to homes. Portswood District Centre should be a local shopping and service centre for surrounding neighbourhoods, not one of the eating, drinking and music hot-spots of the night-time economy. Areas such as the Civic Centre and waterfront are much better suited to this role.

“I therefore ask that the application should be refused.”

The application will be considered at Southampton City Council’s planning meeting on January 8.