The £1.2 million project to reopen a village’s pub has been called in to a council meeting after neighbours objected to its licence to serve alcohol.

After almost a decade vacant, The Plough in Elstree is set to reopen very soon but has hit a stumbling block with one of the fundamental requirements for a pub.

Hertsmere Borough Council has received 13 objections to the application for a premises' licence it submitted on March 6, which means a licensing subcommittee meeting has been organised to reach a decision.

Most opponents said they were supportive of reopening the “local pub as part of the community”, but thought the proposed 9am to 1am opening hours was too long.

One claimed an early-hours closing time is “excessive” for the village high street setting and suggested “potential for congregation/loitering near residential entrances would exacerbate nuisance and safety risks”.

Several took issue with the permission to show film, including sporting events, inside and outside the premises between 9am and midnight which was also specified.

Another objection, anonymised on the meeting report, added: “My concern is about maintaining a reasonable balance between a successful pub and the impact on those of us who live nearby.”

AIM Pubs, which will run The Plough, shared a statement responding to the concerns, which said the timings given were “intentionally broad”.

“In reality, our typical approach is far more measured,” it said. "Our pubs generally operate with standard hours, usually closing around 11.00pm, and we fully expect The Plough to follow this pattern."

“While the licence allows for later hours, these would only be used occasionally, such as for special events or, at most, on some Fridays and Saturdays—always with careful consideration for our neighbours.”

Early morning opening would be for potentially serving breakfasts, when alcohol would only be sold with food and the vast majority would likely be choosing teas, coffees, or juice instead.

Permission for showing films is also apparently only “as a precaution to allow flexibility” and there are no plans for late-night screenings going past 9pm.

The committee meeting will take place on April 29, when councillors can decided to approve or refuse the application. They may also make amendments or add conditions to the licence while still approving it, which an officer's report ahead of the meeting suggests may be the most likely outcome.

An existing licence is in place for the premises as Kiss Kiss, which was a restaurant previously occupying the building. It only allows alcohol to be served until midnight and the "major variation" of this includes several smaller changes including changing the name back to The Plough.