A NIGHT CLUB in Ilkley could close its doors for the last time if plans for a restaurant and flats go ahead.

The owner of the Leeds Road building occupied by Il Trovatore, known locally as 'The Trav', has applied for planning permission for a ground floor restaurant and five upper floor flats where the night club is currently based.

The existence of the club, and other late-licence venues in the town, has not been popular with all residents of the town, who have criticised the late-night anti-social behaviour of revellers passing through the town centre on their way home from a night out.

The club has been the subject of noise complaints dating back a number of years.

Also affected by the plan for 46-50 Leeds Road, would be antiques dealer and restorer, Coopers of Ilkley, which occupies the ground-floor unit under the night club, the area which would become a restaurant under the plans.

A design statement has been submitted to Bradford Council planners along with the planning application, on behalf of building owner and applicant Charles Cooper. The planning application is being handled by agent Walker Morris, of Leeds.

Ilkley Parish Council's plans committee has already shown its support for the restaurant and flats plan, recommending that Bradford Council grants it planning permission.

The parish planning chairman, Councillor Kate Brown, said: "We saw no reason for refusing that, because the existing building has deliveries and there's a small car park opposite Booths in Wharfe View Road."

She said any restaurant created at Coopers would probably be a conventional restaurant, and not a bar-restaurant combination. Councillor Brown said the parish council had in its time received a lot of complaints about the behaviour of nightclubbers in the town centre, although not as many recently, and she said not all of them could be laid at the doorstep of the Leeds Road club.

Church Street and Leeds Road businesses have blamed Friday and Saturday night vandalism of their premises on young clubbers making their way home in the past.

As new licensing arrangements were brought in throughout the Bradford District, the owners of Il Trovatore itself, Jose Mora, of Keighley, and Alfredo Ciesla, of Skipton, were granted a six-month licence to continue running the club in February, subject to conditions including noise abatement work and monitoring.

Mr Ciesla, a member of the Ilkley Pub Watch, recently told the Gazette about the group's moves to combat trouble-makers, including premises joining a radio link scheme, closer work with the police, and barring identified troublemakers from venues run by members of the Pub Watch scheme.

He did not wish to comment on the plan yesterday , other than to say the club's owners intended to carry on running the club for the forseeable future.

Coopers of Ilkley, which was founded almost a century ago in 1910, did not wish to comment on the planning application.

The plan is expected to be determined by Bradford Council.

l Mr Mora and Mr Ciesla are due to appear at Bingley Magistrates' Court on Monday, charged with failure to comply with a noise abatement notice.