A group of residents claim they are regularly robbed of their sleep by a nearby events venue, and that business interests are being put before people.

Elite Venue, in Dunkirk Avenue, Gravesend, hosts everything from church meetings and keep-fit classes to parties.

It has kept its licence to stay open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays after an application by frustrated neighbours to have its opening hours cut was rejected by Gravesham council’s licensing panel.

The panel also approved the conversion of two of the venue’s fitness rooms into one large space with a bar despite objections, although they ruled that noise levels in the venue will now be monitored, and a dispersal policy will be introduced to combat any anti-social behaviour.

Elite manager Jag Bhathal says he has never received a complaint from neighbours.

However, Lynda Coogan, who lives in nearby Wilberforce Way, said residents were being ignored.

She said: “Residents now have no confidence at all in the council because the business of Elite Venue was considered more important than the rights of residents in their own homes.”

Some have also expressed concerns about the conduct of visitors after leaving, with complaints of shouting, fighting, defecating and urinating up houses.

Cllr Rob Halpin (Lab), who spoke to the panel on behalf of residents, said at a public meeting called later: “This is a symptom of a much larger problem that exists in our town and people have got to wake up to it.

“It seems that business interests are put before the quality of life and environment of the residents in this town.

“These people are working people and also there are people in this area with disabled children – their application for review was completely rolled over.”

Some people claim that staff at Elite Venue have been similarly dismissive of their concerns, but Mr Bhathal denied this.

He said: “We run an open-door policy, but the residents have never written to us and have never tried to approach us. They went straight to the council for a review and they had no foundation – they just didn’t produce the evidence, whereas we did. We do have residents that live even closer that haven’t had a problem.

“If residents do have any issues they are more than welcome to come and see us, but they have got to come out with something with more foundation, rather than have a go at the venue because they are sitting at home with nothing better to do.”

Opponents are hoping to gain the support of Gravesham MP Adam Holloway before taking their concerns back to the licencing panel. Any appeal to the panel’s decisions needs to be made by Monday February 15.