FEARS are being voiced that “drunken and drug-influenced behaviour” would threaten the safety of visitors to a Pembrokeshire family holiday park if a nightclub opened next door.

Fire and road safety concerns have also been raised about proposals for the Queen of Clubs, Penally, in the building which previously housed the Chequers club, which closed its doors in 1997.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing sub-committee next Thursday (August 22) is due to consider an application for a new premises licence to allow a nightclub to be operated on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays from 8pm until 4am.

The applicant is Mrs Carmen Clemas of Pentrecagal, near Newcastle Emlyn.

The property currently has a premises licence to operate a tea room/restaurant.

The building adjoins Crackwell Holiday Park, whose manager, Emma Thomas, is amongst several people – including Penally Community Council and park visitors - objecting to the application.

In a letter which will go before the committee, Ms Thomas listed a catalogue of anti-social behaviour - “drunken and drug-influenced behaviour of the club’s patrons, possible vandalism, constant noise and moving of vehicles, possible break-ins and theft, debris, violence, fighting, rowdy behaviour including other possible minor crimes such as trespassing, graffiti, criminal damage, obscenity and blasphemy, along with outraging public decency” – which she feared could compromise the safety of park residents.

Ms Thomas pointed out that noise abatement orders were issued by Pembrokeshire County Council when the building was previously She understood that there had been no further soundproofing of the building since then and expressed concerns about noise from live and recorded music disrupting the “peace, tranquillity and serenity” of the park.

However, a noise management plan, which includes proposals for control of customer behaviour, inside and outside music noise, car parking, deliveries and a cctv system, has been drawn up for the club, following mediation with an officer from Pollution Control.

Fire officers inspected the proposed club building with owner Robert Davies and new leaseholder Mervyn Jones in June, when it was agreed that “a comprehensive list of deficiencies” would have to be addressed before the premises could be re-opened.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing officer, Nigel Lewis, said that he would support the application in principle, but had concerns for the safety of patrons on the nearby road, The applicant had been discussing transport methods with local bus and taxi proprietors, and this was ‘commendable’, but it was still likely that people would leave the club on foot.