Residents have raised fears they will be disturbed by rowdy revellers as bars and restaurants moving into a new leisure complex apply to stay open into the early hours.

A five-screen Curzon cinema has already launched at the £115m Riverside development in Canterbury, and a licence has been granted for a BrewDog craft beer bar - despite objections from neighbours.

Now, an application has been lodged for an upmarket bar and restaurant called Sekkoya to be allowed to stay open until 3am at the sprawling site in Kingsmead.

It will occupy one of the 13 units at the city council-owned complex, which was completed back in June after a three-year construction period.

An opening date is yet to be revealed, along with the identities of the other tenants set to move in as final negotiations continue.

The company behind Sekkoya, Citi Riverside Holdings Ltd, says it will provide the sort of "classy dining experience Kent doesn't have", and bring "something entirely new to Canterbury".

The director, who also runs the Citi Terrace bar in the city centre, wants to operate the new eatery until 3am and serve alcohol until 2am. The application also asks for a licence for "ambient" live music, dance performances and film screenings until 2am.

But vice-chair of the St Stephen's Residents Association (SSRA) Jennifer Holland has objected to the bid.

She said: "Several residents have commented that it can be very disturbing having noisy groups of people walking past their houses at night time, accompanied by an increase in traffic.”

Representations were also made by SSRA chairman Pauline Walters, who said: “To encourage the drinking of alcohol until three o'clock in the morning goes against all government and health department measures to reduce alcohol intake, particularly among the clientèle that would be attracted to late-night drinking.".

Cllr Michael Dixey, who represents Westgate, is not on the licensing sub-committee but is sympathetic to the SSRA's concerns.

“Unless there’s good reason, these premises shouldn’t be given licences beyond the council’s core hours” he said.

It is council policy to grant licenses to businesses operating within "core hours" - defined by the authority as closing at 12.30am on Friday and Saturday and midnight on other days - as long as they do not violate any other licensing rules.

Companies that want to be allowed to open outside these core hours are subject to more scrutiny when applying for licences.

Cllr Dixey agreed that venues serving alcohol and staying open so late at the Riverside development would create the potential for anti-social behaviour.

The residents group also opposed BrewDog's application to be allowed to stay open until 1am on Friday and Saturday, and midnight from Sunday to Thursday.

In her objection, Ms Holland told the council groups of young people disturb residents late at night already, and that BrewDog’s intended opening hours would lead to this “happening on every day of the week, with no respite”.

The council subsequently granted a licence for the bar and brewery company to instead operate during "core hours", with the business required to stop the sale of alcohol half-an-hour before closing.

The decision on Sekkoya's premises licence is due to be made at a meeting of the licensing sub-committee on Wednesday, October 26.