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PLANS to change a former toy shop into a late-night bar on Didcot's Broadway are worrying families who fear it will make their lives a misery.

People in Broadway, St Peter's Road, Wessex Road and Haydon Road said alcohol-fuelled behaviour and vandalism would rise if a new bar and restaurant in the old Dentons shop in upper Broadway was approved.

Neighbours were concerned about noise and cars clogging-up nearby roads and said the Smith and Jones-chain bar was not suitable for a residential area.

Bar managers want to attract high-street shoppers and office workers on weekdays, as well as evening and weekend revellers.

Doors would stay open until 1.30am on Saturdays and Sundays and close at 12.30am from Tuesday to Friday.

Father-of-three Mark Allinson, of Broadway, is among the residents determined to fight the plans.

The 33-year-old engineer said: "I don't want to move but it's on my doorstep.

"I can see it from my bedroom window.

"It's completely in the wrong area.

"It's mainly three-bedroom houses full of families around here.

"Vandalism is bad enough as it is, but it would only get worse. If it gets the go-ahead we would have to move.

"It's no place to bring up children opposite a pub. There would just be no peace here.

"In the evening it's a friendly place and that's the way we want to keep it."

Brian McIntyre, 56, of Wessex Road, said: "People will start dispersing in the street and congregate in the area outside the kebab shop which might start staying open later.

"Where are the taxis going to come?

"There is no policing along here at the moment and if it was in the town centre, with everything else it would be easier to police."

Haydoncorr Road resident Ann Purnell, 53, said: "It's the aggravation factor as much as anything with people moving backwards and forwards on the road.

"There are also areas at the top of the road for people to congregate and get up to things like drugs.

"This road hasn't got any CCTV either."

Retired Molly Smith, of Haydon Road, said: "They must keep this sort of thing for the town centre.

"I have had one drunk fellow being sick in the garden and one threw a bottle and hit the window, and that's without the bar."

Pensioners Peter and Amy Ryding, of Haydon Road, said they did not object to the principle of the development, but they said it was in the wrong place.

A spokesman for the Barracuda Group said the bar would be high quality and would add "vitality" to the area, creating about 25 full and part-time positions.

He said: "It will not be a so-called 'superpub' offering cheap drinks at discounted prices, instead it will operate as a high quality pub that offers award-winning pub food, premium brands, coffee and soft drinks in a contemporary yet comfortable environment.

"Regarding residents' concerns over parking we have researched the area and believe there is sustainable public transport for people to use during the day.

"As our target customers are shoppers, office workers and local residents we would anticipate that they will already be using the parking facilities in the town centre. In the evening we hope that the pub will appeal to local customers who we envisage would walk to the venue or use local taxi services."

A date for the planning application to be heard by South Oxfordshire District Council planners has not yet been set.

1:48pm Wednesday 30th April 2008

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