AN indoor golf club wants to become the latest late-night drinking venue in Billericay.

Green Tees, which opened close to the police station on Billericay High Street last December, has applied to Basildon Council to open until 2am during the week and until 3am at weekends.

The training centre has three indoor golf bays and a licensed sports bar, with a dance floor, which opens until midnight.

But Darren Mason, who lives nearby, is not happy about the venue’s plans.

He said: “I’m a local resident and I have been complaining to Basildon Council about the noise levels already coming from Green Tees.

“It has music nights going on at the weekend and it attracts a really young crowd and is so noisy.”

Green Tees has applied to the council’s licensing committee for permission to open until 2am, from Monday to Thursday, and until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.

David Dadds, councillor for the Billericay east ward, is planning to write a letter objecting to the plans.

He said: “Residents have told me, to all intents and purposes, it’s a bar, not a golf centre.

“They say people hang around outside the venue on the street.

“Now it sounds like it wants to turn it into a nightclub.”

The bar is open to the public, but is also available for private hire.

Phil Turner, councillor for the Billericay ward, is also concerned by the application.

He said: “I’ve got some serious reservations about where the High Street is going.

“We’re getting premises setting up here, which are not necessarily catering for the needs of residents, and they are bringing in problems from outside the town.

“We don’t want to be in the position where we are having to clean up after others who come down to the town for an evening.”

Green Tees said it did not want to comment before the application had been considered by the council.