A CELEBRITY hangout backed by Premier League footballers is applying to stay open later after its controversial first bid ended in stalemate.

Woodford Green TOWIE hotspot La Sala threatened to go to the High Court after Redbridge Council rejected its application to extend its opening hours in 2015.

When the owners refused to back down, licensing officers agreed to meet them half way and eventually granted them permission to stay open until midnight during the week and 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

But the Marbella-based restaurant and bar will face the council’s licensing committee again next week (May 15) in a bid to extend opening hours until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays and 12.30am on Sundays.

La Sala claims to offer “the ultimate social dining experience” and counts Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain among its investors.

But since opening up in Chigwell Road in 2014 it has been met with fierce opposition from neighbours.

Between April 2016 and March 2017 the police have received nine reports of “assault, disorder, and drunkenness” at the venue and 11 objections to the application have already been made by residents.

Conservative Bridge ward Cllr Paul Canal believes the extended opening hours would “fatally undermine licensing objectives to prevent crime and disorder, public nuisance, and protect public safety”.

Sandra Slater, of Roding Lane North, claims “the owners won’t be happy until they turn it into a night club” and later opening hours “can only encourage disruption”.

She also fears children living in the area will not be able to sleep, which could cause “behaviour or learning difficulties”.

Liz and Brian Thomas, of Chigwell Road, say they are “repeatedly being disturbed by taxis at the back of our house with horns tooting and doors slamming” and often find broken bottles in their garden.

A single parent who lives nearby added: “This is not the place for late-night drinking.

“Woodford Bridge is a small, pleasant village area.

“At weekends the walkway at the side of my house is used as a urinal and convenient place to be sick.

“I cannot afford to fall asleep at work and lose my job because I’m being kept up all night.

“I should not be expected to go through all this again – this is my home.”

But La Sala’s director Paul Groman-Marks claims neighbours “continually tar La Sala with the same brush” as the site’s old owners.

He said: “Local residents are assuming the later we are open the more likely crime and disorder will be.

“Based on La Sala’s history of formal complaints this is not the case.

“There have only been a handful of incidents reported directly to us, all of which have been dealt with, and none specifically related to disturbances at closing time.

“We employ 53 people, most of whom live in Redbridge, and have invested over £2 million to create a good restaurant in a superb environment.

“Our customers are demanding to eat later hence our requirement to alter the licence.

“But the last thing residents deserve is the White Hart pub to be brought back.”

The police chose not to make any representations at the committee hearing, which will take place at 10.30am at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford on Monday (May 15).