NEIGHBOURS living close to a once-quiet country pub recently transformed into a vibrant tapas bar are cooking up a protest against plans for a late licence.

Residents in Grane Road, Haslingden, have written to Rossendale Council to complain about the noise levels at the nearby Holden Arms.

They claim music from entertainment at the venue has become "unbearable" and left them unable to sleep.

Owners of the Holden Arms Denise and Nick Hogan have now applied for a Public Entertainment Licence to add an additional hour to trading on Thursday to Saturday and an extra half an hour on Sundays, which means the bar will be open until 12am Thursday to Saturday's and 11pm on Sunday's.

But Holden Arms spokesman Lisa Harlow said: "This is a success story, Nick has brought employment into the area and turned this place around.

"He is sympathetic towards his neighbours and has made every effort to work with them. He only found out about these recent complaints when they came up on the council's agenda.

"He has put some new windows in to help conceal the noise because at the end of the day he wants to be able to get on with the people living around him. He is a very reasonable man and will do his best to keep the neighbours happy."

One neighbour, a 29-year-old, who has a five-month-old baby son, said: "When we moved in, the Holden Arms was a quiet country pub but it now seems set on becoming the nightlife of the village.

"We wish the new occupiers every success but we have a young family to consider. We would anticipate some noise from a public house but we would appreciate them turning the volume down."

Another neighbour, who has also written a letter of complaint to the council, added: "It is impossible to sleep with the windows open."

The pub's existing entertainment takes place on the ground floor within the restaurant area.

In an application to Rossendale Council's licensing committee, Mrs Hogan said she will ensure all doors and windows to the premises are kept shut and said secondary glazing to windows that face the houses has been installed.

A recommendation has been made to councillors that the complaints should be investigated.

Councillors have been told that additional conditions to the licence should also be attached that will require noise from any entertainment within the premises should not cause nuisance to near-by residents.