POLICE have won their fight to stop a huge new bar from opening in the centre of York.

On Monday Revolucion de Cuba was refused a licence for a bar and restaurant in part of the old BHS building on New Street, more than a year after the Latin-themed bar and restaurant chain first revealed ambitions for York.

Despite offering to set earlier closing hours, agree conditions about door staff, emergency exits, and promising not to run “happy hour” promotions bosses could not persuade city councillors they should be allowed to open in York.

North Yorkshire Police strongly opposed the plans - and in Monday’s hearing accused Revolucion de Cuba of using the restaurant side of its application as a “smokescreen” for its real business as a high-volume drinking spot.

Monday’s five hour hearing also saw council licensing staff and the neighbouring Judges Court Hotel urge councillors not to give the licence. New Street falls within York’s Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ) which is supposed to stop new bars adding to booze-fuelled disorder in an already saturated area. At the end of the hearing, Cllr Ashley Mason told Revolucion de Cuba’s Godfrey Russell and Anthony Lyons they had not done enough to show they should be treated as an exception to CIZ rules.

Mr Lyons had argued that Revolucion would offer something different to York - with Latin music and food and a longer “dwell time” than other venues. He also said its pricing - with cocktails from £7.50 - would rule out hen and stag parties out to get drunk.

He added: “Why would [we] invest £1.4 million and create 60 jobs in York to create a problem for Revolucion de Cuba? We are not the enemy, we want to work with residents in the area and with the police, and we want to be attractive to the good folk who visit York.”

His arguments did not convince police licensing officer PC Samantha Bolland, who questioned the venue’s capacity of 600, and said she believed it would become another spot for heavy drinking.

PC Bolland said York has a unique problem on Saturday afternoons, with an almost “Beirut-like” atmosphere when drinkers clash with families.

“I am a serving police officer who goes out in uniform. I hear concerns from members of the public who say they can’t bring children out at 12pm on Saturdays, because of drunk people on Coney Street.”

The ruling was welcomed by Lee Robinson, the owner of Judges Court Hotel, who said that even though bar bosses had allayed some of his concerns, he still feared that noise from the new bar would “decimate” his business. The bar company can appeal the decision in the magistrates court, and has 21 days to decide.