Two shops selling high-end wines and spirits have been granted permission to sell alcohol until late despite residents’ concerns over potential noise and antisocial behaviour.

Yung and Kush, a new boutique off licence in Buckhurst Hill, has been granted a premises licence while New Breed Bottle Shop, a Loughton store which does wine and craft beer tasting, had its hours extended to midnight at weekends by Epping Forest District Council.

Nearby residents and Loughton Town Council made representations against the proposals, fearing later opening hours could result in anti-social and drunken behaviour in their neighbourhoods.

But the council's licensing sub-committee decided at a meeting on May 16 that approval of the new permissions was not likely to promote crime and disorder or cause a public nuisance.

Yung and Kush was granted a licence for the consumption of alcohol off the premises, from Monday-Sunday between 9am-11pm.

Speaking on their behalf, licensing agent Nick Semper said CCTV would be installed and the shop would keep an incidents and refusals log.

He said: “It’s really quite simple, this shop was once a dilapidated, now refurbished unit. This is a start-up and will be the first in the line of similar such outlets, of which there will be four or five."

With regard to objections submitted by residents, he said: “What stands out most about these representations is the pure speculation, that a rise in crime, antisocial behaviour, noise and parking issues could occur, were you to grant this application this morning.”

According to a council report, two residents who live in Queens Road near the shop objected to the application, fearing noise caused by possible late night drinking.

New Breed Bottle Shop in Loughton was granted a variation of its existing licence, extending its opening house to 12pm-10pm Monday to Wednesday, 12pm-12am Thursday-Saturday and 12pm-6pm on Sundays.

Tables and chairs seating eight people outside the shop will have to be cleared away by 9pm Monday-Saturday and 6pm on Sundays as a condition of the new licence.

Director at New Breed Bottle Shop Michael O’Kane told the committee they wanted to extend the licence because they were having to turn away business, with many potential customers wanting tasting sessions in the late evenings.

He said: “Unfortunately, although we’ve got a really successful business that has had a really positive impact on the local community, we probably won’t be able to survive if we keep turning that business away.”

But Loughton Town Council had objected to the application on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder and prevention of public nuisance.

A neighbour of the shop also objected, saying he was particularly worried about the tables and chairs outside the shop, which he claimed could encourage noise late at night.

A section read: “I would be concerned that this would lead to a gathering of people outside of the shop late at night which would constitute a public nuisance and also may lead to crime and disorder in the area immediately outside of my flat late into the night."