A RAFT of changes which would allow a town centre bar to open for longer - despite nearby concerns being lodged over alleged antisocial and lewd behaviour - will be discussed at a crunch meeting next week.

The Country Club, on the Victorian Arcade, is seeking alterations to its licence from Barnsley Council.

Set to be discussed at a licensing board meeting on Thursday, the key changes being sought are the extension of its closing time from 11.30pm while 2am as well as permission to supply alcohol which mirrors that timeframe.

Bosses at the venue, run by Paul and Rebecca McNicholas, say in a report that CCTV will be enhanced and noise checks will be conducted to ensure minimal disruption.

However, the same document also reveals that neighbouring businesses - chiefly The Spectacle Shop - lodged an objection to the bid and provided CCTV to licensing officers which reportedly contains instances of rowdy behaviour impacting its customers.

“Staff from the shop have supplied footage of antisocial behaviour including a female leaving The Country Club and walking to their shop window and jiggling her breasts at their customers, one of whom was an 85-year-old man,” the report added.

“Previous to the present owners taking over in June 2024, the licensing department received no complaints regarding any of the licensing objectives.

“In June 2024, shortly after the premises opened, staff at The Spectacle Shop contacted Barnsley Council seeking advice with regards to issues being caused by patrons of The Country Club which had just opened.

“In August 2024, staff once again raised their concerns about the behaviour of patrons with regards to general poor behaviour.

“A meeting was convened with officers and the owners of all the licensed premises in the Arcade.

“Discussions were had and concerns raised from a number of sources with regard to the general issues throughout the Arcade as a result of the licensed premises now trading in that area.

“Following the meeting, agreements were put in place to control licensed areas and access for pedestrians up and down the Arcade.

“As a result, it appears that a number of the issues were resolved for a period of time - however, following the application to vary the premises licence at The Country Club, staff at The Spectacle Shop submitted an objection highlighting issues recently that had occurred outside their shop, causing distress to their customers.

“Licensing officers Debbie Bailey and Martin Cooper met with Paul and Rebecca McNicholas at the premises to discuss the situation and they were reminded of the fact that they were no longer allowed to let people take their drinks outside of their front doors.

“CCTV suggests that the premise licence holder was in breach of the licence permissions just one day after being reminded of the restrictions.”

Paul, who has run multiple bars in the town centre - including nearby Annie Murray’s for a decade - told the Chronicle he was disappointed by the accusations.

“We’re hopeful of a good outcome because we want to work together with all involved,” he added.

“It’s upsetting as there’s only an hour or so when the bar and the shop overlap on a Saturday, when we open at 3pm.

“It’s contributed well to Barnsley’s economy and we’re very happy to be a part of an area that’s regularly receiving compliments from both residents and out-of-town visitors who love the Arcade’s diversity.”

* The Chronicle contacted The Spectacle Shop for a comment.