A former owner of The Horns pub in Watford has been granted a licence to run a new over 25s nightclub in the town centre.

Politicians at Watford Borough Council today agreed the plans for Flamingo, in The Parade, after questioning the owner, Denis Cook, over his plans for the new establishment.

Three councillors on the licensing subcommittee welcomed the plans for an establishment aimed at older clientele, but added conditions to the licence including tightening the times loud music can be played.

Prior to the meeting, Central Town Residents’ Association raised concerns about the impact of noise disturbance from loud music and smokers would have on people living nearby.

However at the hearing Mr Cook told councillors he had been in discussions with local residents and had taken steps to address their concerns such as sound-proofing parts of the club.

As a result of the approval, the venue, which is in the building vacated by Vogue, is set to open later this week.

Speaking at the hearing Mr Cook said he decided to open a new venue in the town after hearing of the £4million regeneration The Parade is currently undergoing.

He said: "I have lived in Watford since the mid 1970s and read about the regeneration of The Parade. When I was at The Horns I had little interest in going to that side of Rickmansworth Road.

"But with the regeneration I think the type of thing I do would be good.

"I want to run an adult venue and I want to be part of the regeneration as I have always been in that part of the town."

According to papers submitted to the committee, the police voiced no objections to the plans but two residents and a residents group did write letters of opposition.

In his letter to the council, Peter Young, the secretary of the Central Town Residents’ Association, said: "Our residents have had a lot of trouble with this operator when he ran the Horns.

"As a result we need to establish several conditions to ensure that the impact of this new venue on their lives is not disastrously compromised."

Among the conditions he asked for were sound-proofing and that live music did not go on beyond midnight.

The three councillors on the committee, Liberal Democrats Jan Brown and Peter Jeffree and independent Malcolm Meerabux, all said they liked the sound of Mr Cook’s plans but quizzed him on the details.

Councillor Brown expressed concern about how the over 25s policy would be policed.

She added: "We have sat here before and heard people saying ‘we are aiming at the over 25s’ and the truth is far from that."

Mr Cook said he would be able to control who came into the club by the town’s ID system.

He added: "I can say in eight years at The Horns I didn’t have it once kick off. It’s not the same type of danger you have in rough pubs or in bars in the town where they are all pumped up before they arrive.

"I think that is the problem you have - where children have access to very cheap alcohol and arrive already completely battered. I don’t think clubs should let them in and I won’t let them in."

Mr Cook also said that although the licence had been applied for as a night club he consider the venue to be more of a music bar.

In the end the panel approved the licence on the basis that the club can play live music and serve alcohol from 12pm to midnight Monday to Saturday and to 10.30pm on Sundays.

The club will be able to play recorded music from 12pm to 12.30am on Mondays to Wednesdays, to 1am on Thursday to Saturdays, and to 10.30pm on Sundays.

The committee also imposed a condition prohibiting the dumping of noisy glass refuse outside the club between 11pm and 8am.