ONCE again the private amenity of Oxton Village residents comes under further challenge from the unwelcome prospect of another public bar.

Currently, there is a total of 16 licensed premises within the compact retail centre of which 13 are eligible to supply alcohol for consumption on or off the premises.

The private amenity of the 7,500 residents throughout Oxton Village, particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings, is disturbed by the vulgar and uncouth behaviour associated with the intemperate supply and consumption of alcohol.

A building in the village centre which began life as Oxton Concert Hall is the subject of a planning application for change of use.

It was recently vacated, as a consequence of relocation, by a successful sign manufacturing and installation company.

In a display of extreme insensitivity the application seeks to convert the premises, sandwiched between and attached to a development of five apartments and a single dwelling, into a basement micro-brewery, a ground floor bar, and a first floor restaurant.

Parking is a perennial source of irritation.

Only two of the licensed premises have off-street parking.

Much of the restricted on-street parking is occupied by village centre residents, further compounded by taxis commandeering spaces for irregular ranking.

Visitors increasingly resort to parking in adjoining residential locations.

The application has no proposals to cope with additional car parking demand.

Equally there are no plans to mitigate the disruption to traffic and the bus route arising from the delivery and dispatch of goods.

The inability of the civic and regulatory agencies to curtail the numbers of licensed premises in Oxton Village illustrates an indifference to legitimate community interests.

"Time, gentlemen please!"

Alfred Lennon by email.