RESIDENTS in a leafy area of York have scored a partial victory over late-night student drinking.

The University of York won the right to open all its bars until 2am six days a week and midnight on Sundays, at a City of York Council licensing hearing yesterday.

But licensing bosses placed strict conditions over one of the six applications, after hearing pleas from residents that allowing students to drink late there would cause noisy misery for the village community.

Halifax Court in Heslington village, home to JJ's student bar, was told it must hold no more than six student events a term, with an additional one during freshers' week.

In addition, all outside drinking areas should be vacated, cleared and cleaned by 11.20pm, except for the one freshers' week event when this should be done by 1.30am, and outside amplification for regulated entertainment was banned.

The university has insisted it would continue to operate its bars until 11pm as it does at the moment, and that it had no intention of running any more student events.

Last year, it applied for about 250 late night extensions, of which more than half were student events.

Howard Crowson, a barrister speaking on behalf of the university, said: "It's not intended by these applications to divert from the regime that already exists. The university recognises that there has been a need to work in harmony with the residents - we feel that has been done with some success."

But residents feared that the university's proposal to regulate its own trading arrangements would not give them enough protection from late-night drinking - and pressed council bosses to put more conditions on its licence so it could not hold more than a certain number of events per year.

They felt this would be a security measure in case the university changed its policy in the future.

Heslington Village Trust chairman Nick Allen said: "We consider that a voluntary cap (on late night events) is not sufficient and does not guarantee sufficient protection to the villagers."

Ward councillor Ceredig Jamieson-Ball said outside the meeting: "If we find problems occur and there's a significant increase in late-night activities then we have an opportunity to review the situation."

Updated: 08:52 Saturday, October 08, 2005