Ealing Cricket Club has successfully applied to extend its licensable hours despite a large number of objections from neighbouring residents.

Ealing Council's sub-licensing committee said the decision was "about balancing the needs of the cricket club and its members and the welfare of the residents and children that live in the vicinity."

To this end, the extension of hours came with some stringent restrictions, including weekend hours only extending to 2am two times a year and weekday hours only extending to 12am two days a month.

The original application requested the hours be extended from 11pm Monday to Sunday, to 12am Monday to Thursday and 2am Friday to Sunday.

The rationale for the extension, as explained by club trustee Greg Fitzpatrick, was to allow the club to host late-night functions that would bring much-needed extra revenue and give cricketers longer to socialise after matches.

He stressed that the club's bar would not always "remain open for the full hours."

He added that a lot of objections, which often focused on concerns about noise and anti-social behaviour were "based on the worst case scenario."

To prevent excessive noise he said that the club manager would ensure the outside area would be closed to members after 11pm.

However, as the voice of residents, Jilly Gartside was quick to raise her concerns about the proposed extension.

She said about events last summer: "Noise was really excessive the way we could bear it was because we knew it would finish at midnight.

"So to have it going on until 2am I don't know how that is ever being considered."

In the spirit of compromise, Cllr Jon Ball suggested conditions be placed on the hours if the application was approved.

This would mean a limit to the times that hours could be extended.

Mr Fitzpatrick said that the club's opening times would only need to be extended 'very rarely' and agreed that it would probably only need an extension until 2am Friday to Sunday a couple of times a year, and to 12am Monday to Thursday a couple of times a month.

Despite this agreement, Ms Gartside did not seem too convinced saying she still thought the arrangement was too excessive.

She cited other written objections which tied the club's current opening hours to anti-social behaviour including a resident finding someone relieving themselves in their garden.

While Police Sergeant Cassar, who had also made a representation to oppose the extended hours, also cited concerns over public nuisance, Mateusz Kruk of the council's noise team seemed satisfied with the compromise proposed.

Ultimately the council agreed to the hours with the conditions imposed.

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