RELIEVED residents in Lye have welcomed news a controversial application for a new High Street bar has been withdrawn.

The plan, for a restaurant and bar with live music and a licence until 3am, sparked a storm of protest from people concerned about issues including noise, crime and disturbance for people visiting nearby places of worship.

The application for the nightspot, near to Christ Church, was withdrawn earlier this week, just as it was to be considered by a committee of Dudley Councillors.

Lye cllr Mohammed Hanif said: “It’s good news for us as there was so much upset caused by this application. We can’t have a night club there, it wasn’t a viable place.”

All three Lye members of Dudley Council plus Stourbridge MP Margot James, West Midlands Fire Service and Ghausia Mosque all objected to the plan.

Cllr Hanif believes more late-night bars in the area would put extra pressure on police who already have plenty to do in Lye.

He said: “The application was for a restaurant and a bar which would be open to the public until 3am; this we believe would create further crimes and alcohol linked anti-social behaviour, creating real issues for already a low resourced police force.

“We are very happy but not sure what the next step may be. We feel that late openings will cause real problems in the area.

“We have to bear in mind that there are several elderly and retired residents in this locality who want peace and quiet.”