Police have objected to plans to extend the opening hours for a nightclub in Bexleyheath, claiming that six assaults have taken place at the venue in the past six months.

Arcadia Lounge on Broadway has applied to extend its opening hours to 3.30am on weekends.

The application also seeks to allow the club to stay open half an hour later on Thursdays, when it currently closes at 1.30am.

The premises’ current licence allows it to stay open until 2.30am on weekends.

Bexley Council documents showed that the Met Police had filed an objection to the plans. A licensing officer for the Met Police said in a letter to the authority that the venue generated the most crime reports and engagement from police out of any late night venue on Broadway in Bexleyheath.

They added that there had been nine crime reports for the venue in the past six months, with six of them relating to assault or grievous bodily harm.

They said: “I have sent letters and emails to the premises regarding their conduct. The key features from all of these reports is intoxication.

"The most recent letter I sent on March 19, 2024 details how a very drunk female collapsed outside the premises at 1.30am and the door staff did nothing, completely failing to promote the public safety objective.”

A representative from the licensing authority of the council also made an objection to the plans, claiming that the immediate area around the club had seen 15 reported violent and sexual offences last December.

They added that the supervisor for the venue had persistently refused to adopt a last admission time for the venue, allowing entry at any time.

Applications from the police to review the licence for the bar date back to January 2015.

This led to the club’s licence being suspended for a week and the supervisor was removed from his position for six months.

An environmental health officer for the council cited concerns about future complaints from local residents if the club’s hours were extended, but added that no complaints had been received previously.

The supervisor of the bar said in the application that extending the hours of the premises would alleviate footfall congestion in the area from nearby venues closing earlier.

He said: “There can be up to 1,500 people leaving the different premises and going to takeaways and waiting for taxis.

"With the closing and dispersal being varied to 3am (with closing at 3.30am), this would reduce the amount of people on the street earlier, and will also allow people to get taxis easier by staggering the dispersal times.”

The decision on the application to extend the opening hours of Arcadia Lounge will be discussed at a licensing meeting for Bexley Council on May 15.