A well-known pub Ashby is seeking to extend its opening hours to 2.30am, despite concerns about "unwarranted" and "unreasonable" late-night loud music.

The Bull's Head, located on Market Street, wants to extend alcohol sales on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights until 2am, with closing times pushed to 2.30am, as well as plans to add a permanent external bar in the rear beer garden and car park area.

North West Leicestershire District Council's (NWLDC) licensing sub-committee is set to meet to decide whether or not to grant the licence to the pub after both the pub landlord and Ashby Civic Society "remained unable to reach agreement" over the proposed changes.

Ashby Civic Society has launched a formal objection, signed off by 35 members at a recent meeting, over concerns that drinking could take place in the pub's garden until 2am, something it calls "unwarranted and unreasonable".

The chairman, Ken Ward, wrote in a letter of objection: "It is very likely that excessive noise will be made at times and the very fact that the garden is open and that people can consume alcohol up to 2.00am outdoors seems antisocial especially to the people living nearby.

"Admittedly there are not many inhabitants nearby but there are some and they should be looked after. Having drink served outdoors so late will surely lead to vandalism around this area of town? We note there has been some windows broken in the town lately linked with such behaviour."

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Mr Ward called the application "unclear" and the society's main concerns were based around "the possibility of loud noise until 2am".

He also said he would be attending the council meeting to "find out the facts".

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However, Sam Wallis, 45, landlord of the Bull's Head, told the LDRS that the pub "was so busy" that it needed to try to extend its opening hours.

He added: "We start filling up around 11pm and 11.30pm and by 1am, we're absolutely packed all the way through.

"The White Hart has 2am, the Lamb Inn has got 2am, and we're the busiest pub, and we have to close."

Mr Wallis, who has been landlord at other well-known town pubs, pushed back on the Civic Society's complaints and said that the pub plans to have "background music on until 12am to 1am in the morning" but doesn't plan to have "live entertainment on – all hours of the day".

He also said he hopes the outside bar application will allow it to be licensed to sell alcohol during the summer so that families can take advantage of the warmer weather, but was not looking to extend the outside licence to be open until 2am.

Leicestershire Police has also proposed strict conditions on the pub, which include that children under 18 will be completely barred from the premises after 10pm on weekends as well as mandatory bouncers every Saturday.

NWLDC's sub-committee is set to meet on June 17 to decide on the application.