Neighbours triumphed when councillors imposed earlier closing times on a new pub.

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon plans to open the Mossy Well pub in Muswell Hill on the site of the old Village bar, which closed in 2013.

Rather than apply for a new licence, the company planned to take on the Village’s, allowing it to stay open until 2am.

Wetherspoon also applied to extend the serving hours of the pub to allow it to begin selling alcohol at 10am, and planned to extend the licensed area, allowing it to serve alcohol on the basement floor.

But this week a Haringey Council licensing sub-committee decided the pub must close at 12am from Sunday to Thursday and 12.30am on Friday and Saturday.

At Monday’s meeting, which went on for several hours, Muswell Hill neighbours argued with Wetherspoon representatives.

Ben Rogoff, who has previously called on Haringey Council to re-examine its licensing policy for the area, said since the closure of the Village those living nearby had seen a reduction in anti-social behaviour.

Mr Rogoff said the pub chain was being “cynical” and exploiting the existing licence, despite the area having “changed dramatically” since it was granted.

He added that no other Wetherspoon pub in a north London residential area was open past 12.30am on a week night, and that the pub opening latest in Camden, a less residential area, closed at 1am.

Mr Rogoff also attacked the plans to expand the pub, which he estimated would increase the size of the venue by 75 to 80 per cent, suggesting that it would lead to more people on the streets at closing time.

His objections were shared by John Nevin, a lawyer living in Wellfield Avenue, who argued that the pub’s drinks menu, filled with cocktails, was aimed at younger drinkers.

He said: “This pub is going to attract youths because it sells cheap alcohol. This will simply lead to a cocktail of trouble of our streets.

“We’re not Soho. This is not an area of youngsters, this is a hugely residential, densely-populated area with young families.”

To the committee, Mr Niven said: “Support the pub, allow it to open, but with normal opening hours.”

Ruth Prior, another neighbour, expressed concerns about the licence allowing the pub to play live music, while Councillor Gail Engert represented a group of people concerned about noise and smoke from the planned beer garden.

Nigel Connor, a solicitor speaking on behalf of JD Wetherspoon, emphasised the concessions made by the firm.

He pointed out that the pub chain had amended its application to begin serving alcohol at 10am rather than 9am, and would close earlier than The Village, which was previously on the site.

He said the business would offer a “broad range” of products, and was not solely aimed at younger drinkers, adding that any cheap drinks deals were always related to food.

Wetherspoon repeated that it would not play live music, despite being allowed to do so by its licence.

Following Haringey’s decision to curtail opening hours, a spokesman for Wetherspoon, said the firm was “disappointed” and is now considering its legal position.