Mantra and council reach a compromise about closing time

A compromise agreement that will allow Windsor's Mantra nightclub to open until 2am has been reached with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

Neighbours were delighted when the authority's licensing panel imposed a 1am curfew on the club in Bridgewater Way in June. It previously had a 3am closing time under the Licensing Act and neighbours had complained about noisy, drunken behaviour.

The club was due to be represented before magistrates at Reading Crown Court last week to ask for the restoration of the 3am licence. But the appearance was cancelled after a last minute compromise agreement was reached with the borough.

It is unlikely to please residents.

But Royal Borough licensing officer Alan Barwise said this week that the authority had been advised the club stood a good chance of regaining the 3am licence if the court appearance had gone ahead.

He said: "The court would have looked closely at how the club had been run in the months since we reduced the hours and it has complied closely with the new earlier closing time. A spot check found that all customers were out by 1.10am."

The situation is still confused because the club is still restricted to 1am closing under a planning permission imposed years before the current Licensing Law was brought in.

The club is now expected to apply again to borough planning councillors for this to be brought into line with its licensing hours. It will have the right to appeal to a government inspector if this is refused.