PERMISSION has been granted for a new nightclub in Old Town, but councillors say they weren’t consulted about the suitability of such a venue in the area.

Mantra, located at 52 Devizes Road next to Connie’s Chinese restaurant, is currently open until 11pm from Tuesday to Thursday and until midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

It operates as an Indian-style restaurant specialising in all-inclusive food and drinks deals.

But the owners of the venue recently requested permission from the council to change their licensed hours, opening the door for them to operate as a nightclub well into the morning.

The request was granted, meaning Mantra will now be able to stay open until 4am from Thursday through to Saturday, in addition to bank holiday Sundays.

They were also successful in securing a licence to play recorded music during those hours.

News of the change came as a surprise to Old Town councillors Nadine Watts and Jane Milner-Barry who do not believe this is an appropriate location to operate a nightclub, given its close proximity to so many houses and flats.

Coun Watts said: “I was shocked to find out that a licensing application has been granted for these premises to operate as a nightclub in addition to a restaurant.

“I think there is something wrong with the consultation process. This application received no objections, when I am sure if residents were aware, many would have objected.

“I have concerns about noise and anti-social behaviour. The police gave their approval subject to conditions being met.

"This proposal is subject to the planning process as it involves a change of use.  To date, no planning application has been submitted so it cannot operate as a nightclub."

Since alerting residents to the development on Friday morning, the councillors say they have received a flurry of calls and emails from concerned residents.

A spokesman for Swindon Borough Council said: “A notice relating to this licensing application was placed in the Swindon Advertiser and also on the front of the premises explaining that people had 28 days to make any comments.

“This is completely in line with licensing regulations. The licence was granted with conditions from the police and we will be monitoring the premises to ensure the regulations are being observed. If not, the council will review the licence.

“The applicant has also been informed that the relevant planning permission must also be in place before the business can start operating.”