COUNCILLORS approving a plan for the Friday Bridge farm camp to serve alcohol until the early hours have called for nearby residents to be provided with a 24-hour phone number for the site “to maintain the ethos of a good neighbour”.

Cambs Times: Friday Bridge Camp. View of the bar taken from the company's promotional DVDFriday Bridge Camp. View of the bar taken from the company's promotional DVD (Image: Archant)

The licencing committee of Fenland District Council - which has allowed the bar to serve alcohol until 1.30am on Friday and Saturday nights - also wants a CCTV camera to cover the verandah and barbecue area.

Applicants WMS Recruitment Ltd had originally asked for permission to serve alcohol and have music playing until 4am on Friday and Saturdays, but negotiations with police had resulted in an agreement to cut back the proposed weekend opening times to 1.30am.

The variation of the camp’s premises licence will give them permission to serve alcohol and have dancing, live and recorded music from 10am to 11pm from Monday to Thursday and Sundays, and from 10am to 1.30am on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Day and Halloween. Police had opposed the 4am bar opening plan, citing a series of drunken incidents at the site, and saying a number of fights had taken place over the past 12 months.

Residents had also opposed the plan, with one telling the licensing committee it was “simply unnecessary”.

Another resident wrote: “I find it unacceptable to have my private life disturbed by groups of drunken people at all times of the day and night.”

Councillors have also approved police recommendations that CCTV cameras should also be installed in the bar area, an age verification policy “Challenge 25” should be in use, and records should include an incident and refusal book, and staff training records.

The committee also recommends that the camp investigates the benefit of joining both the crime reduction network SIRCS and PubWatch schemes.