To ensure its continued ‘viability’ Tenby’s ex-servicemen’s club will now be open to the public as well as members.

The club on South Parade has been a meeting place for ex-servicemen in the town and surrounding district for many years and has applied for a full licence for the premises.

This, solicitor Richard Reed told the committee on Tuesday (September 11) was an “upgrade to the private licence the club currently enjoyed.”

He added that the club was “fully committed” to meeting licensing objectives including signing up to the ‘Behave or be Banned’ scheme and employing doormen if required.

The licence application includes a increase in the hours alcohol can be served on Friday and Saturday from 11 pm to 12.30 am.

Representations concerning noise had been received by the committee but the club said that any music played will be focused inwards to avoid it transmitting to the residential areas.

Steward Malcolm Coates said that a complaint had been received some time ago after a back door had been left open by mistake.

“I’ve been there two and a half years and we’ve never had any trouble up there,” he added.

Licensing sub-committee chairman Clr. Reg Owens said the applicant had sufficiently dealt with representations raised by others. No representations had been received from the police or other bodies.

The application promotes all four of the licensing objectives, added Clr. Owens as the licence was granted.