ONE Kew Road, the iconic bar that was home to the first ever gig of the Rolling Stones and their first meeting with the Beatles, is looking to reinvent itself.

The front door of the establishment sits opposite Richmond Station and the change would see it able to host hundreds of drinkers and bring back live music.

The premises, which is owned by Mitchells & Butlers, was known as The Station Hotel when it hosted The Rolling Stones on Sunday, February 24, 1963.

The backroom of the hotel, which opens on to Parkshot at the rear of the building, was known as The Crawdaddy Club, where the Stones became the house band.

And it was there that they first met The Beatles on April 14, 1963. After the show, the two groups went back to the Chelsea flat shared by Mick Jagger, Brian Jones and Keith Richards.

The venue went on to have a troubled history and later became associated with serious disorder when it was capable of holding up to 650 drinkers at a time.

Following consultations with residents and the police in 2010, the capacity was reduced to 350, while it changed to becoming food focused and live music was banned.

A new drinks license application proposes removing conditions that require the premises to be predominantly run as a restaurant; prevents any live music; and restricts the number of drinkers on the ground floor.

A condition would be added to its operating rules which would mean if it begins to experience levels of anti-social behaviour which are too frequent, challenging or dangerous for staff to manage safely, a written risk assessment will be conducted to look at bringing in qualified door staff. This would include when there are large rugby crowds.

The applicants describe the change, stating: "Mitchells & Butlers are proposing to reposition the premises into a stylish bar and restaurant operation designed for premium High Street locations with an emphasis on craft beers, wines, cocktails and sharing plates.

"It will be a destination premises, with distinctive and elegant décor and a quality focused food and drink offering to suit guests of all ages."

There is also a plan to allow people and delivery services to order and take away both food and drink.

Both The Richmond Society and the Friends of Richmond Green have opposed the application, but signalled they are prepared to work with the pub company.

They suggested the applicant's description of opening a stylish bar appears to be at odds with a plan to allow in hundreds of drinkers and live music.

The Friends of Richmond Green said the history of the premises - pre-2010 – 'does highlight the potential problems for a premises of this size in one of Richmond's continuing problem hot spots and a potential source for migration of these problems throughout the town and its open spaces such a Richmond Green late at night'.

It said increasing the number of drinkers and bringing back amplified live music, 'is of considerable concern'.

However, the organisation said while it is objecting to the application it is prepared to work with the pub company to come up with a compromise.

The Richmond Society said: "These premises occupy a significant site in the town and thus any upgrade or improvements to this site are to be welcomed.

"However there are some aspects to this application that cause disquiet and it is for this reason that the Society wishes to object to the current application."

These include concerns about bikes and scooters parking and queuing outside to collect food and drink.

It said: "Inclusion of live music on these premises will subject local residents to late night noise – both from crowds

inside the premises and as they arrive and depart.

"Richmond is unusual in that the town centre and its residents live in very close proximity. Since the original licence was granted in 2010 the number of local residents in this area has increased considerably following the conversion of offices into residential flats in Parkshot and the development of the old school site in Park Lane."