COFFEE lovers in Old Town could have something a little more than ground-up beans in their morning cuppa after outlets Baila Coffee and Vinyl and Vu:Du applied for alcohol licences.

Both shops, which are just doors apart from each other in Victoria Road, have applied to Swindon Borough Council for licences to sell alcohol alongside their usual fare.

Baila’s licence is for Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 7-11pm and for Sunday afternoons from 1-10pm.

They have also applied for a licence for live music during the same times.

Meanwhile Vu:Du, which also operates a hair salon out of its premises, has applied for a licence to sell alcohol and play live music from noon to 11pm Monday to Saturday and from noon to 10pm on Sundays.

Luke Wareham, who owns Baila with Matt Bailey, said: “We applied for the alcohol licence really because with the events we’ve been holding in the evenings, such as the vinyl nights, people didn’t really want to drink coffee.

“We’re fundamentally a coffee shop which will hopefully serve alcohol and we’re not looking to become a bar, so we’ll start with just a few things, high-end, nice spirits and bottled beers, and nice wines.

“We’ll also be aiming to do some more live music events, particularly on Saturday nights.

"And we’ll be looking to do something a bit more alternative on Thursdays."

Earlier this year there was some concern that new applications for alcohol licences could be subject to even more rigorous scrutiny after police reported a rise in violent crime over the last five years in the town centre, Old Town and Broadgreen.

In March, proposals for a cumulative impact policy were put before Swindon Council's licensing committee after police claimed late opening hours and cheap drinks deals were making their task impossible on a Friday and Saturday nights.

At the time Sian Kalynka, licensing officer for Wiltshire Police, said: “Old Town has seen a rise in custom over the last three years and is now the busier of the two night-time economy areas.

“Crowds gather together from the various premises which leads to incidents of disorder and anti-social behaviour. The weight of numbers often makes it impossible for police to robustly deal with individuals who in other circumstances would face arrest.”

But councillors refused the public consultation, saying there was insufficient evidence to implement the policy.

At the time, Councillor Andrew Bennett (Con, Ridgeway), said: “We would have to pay for this consultation, and I’m not sure we have got any money.

“This should be about removing the bad premises, not stopping the new ones coming in.”

Comments about the application from Baila should be made in writing by June 2, and by May 27 for Vu:Du.

Both applications are available to view at Wat Tyler House in Beckhampton Street.