A PUBLIC meeting will be held this weekend after councillors voiced concerns Billericay could soon be transformed into “pub alley”

Borough councillors, worried the town is becoming overrun with bars have taken the unsual step of organising the meeting to gauge residents’ opionion about the issue.

Phil Turner, Basildon councillor responsible for resources, is spearheading the meeting following a licensing committee hearing last week, which saw a wine bar in the town granted permission to extend its opening hours.

Stewarts, in Western Road, was given the green light to stay open until 1.30am at weekends and until 12.45am for the rest of the week – despite 100 objections being raised by local residents concerned about noise and antisocial behaviour.

Mr Turner, who has backing from his fellow Conservative councillors in calling the meeting, said: “The Conservative councilors on Basildon Council believe that the fight to keep our High Street from turning into a pub alley may have already begun.

“We are not prepared to see our safe and pleasant neighborhoods give way and generate no-go areas for our residents, with all the spin-off problems this brings with it.”

Mr Turner added: “While we aren’t against businesses bringing in a night time economy, we are seeing the dangers where licenses can bring in an unwanted antisocial element, alien to Billericay, and adversely affect our pleasant way of life.

“The meeting on Saturday will be aimed a bringing together Billericay councilors from Basildon Council together with like-minded residents in the battle to keep what we love and cherish in our high street and our way of life.”

The meeting will be held in the Reading Rooms, High Street, Billericay, between 9am and 1pm.