THE Barracuda pub chain has announced further details of its new pub that will be opening on Alton High Street in the coming months, to allay local peopleÕs fears over its late licence.

The Special Hours Certificate was provisionally awarded to the national pub chain by Alton Magistrates last month for the new pub being built in the High StreetÕs Crown Hill gap site.

When eventually made full, the certificate will allow the new pub to open between 10 am and midnight, Monday to Saturday.

Barracuda describes its Smith & Jones brand as Òsoftly branded and female-friendly. It is a pub providing music and sports coverage, and generating a fun environment.Ó

Barracuda has 55 pubs under the Smith & Jones brand nationwide, and hopes to increase this number to 70 by the end of 2003.

BarracudaÕs publicity officer John Deal, said: ÒIn most cases, it is the customers and local community that mould one of our pubs into what they want it to be. We leave things fairly open generically, and when people tell us what they want, we listen.

ÒOur pubs like to get involved in the local community, by doing charity work, sponsoring sports teams and getting involved in community activities.

ÒFor example, our Reading outlet recently sponsored EnglandÕs national blind cricket team, allowing them to take part in the World Cup, in which they came third.

ÒWe are keen to fit in in a new location, and we work hard on our relationships with local police, neighbours, competitors and High Street retailers, and with local Chamber of Commerce groups.

ÒMany of the specifics for the Alton pub are not yet available. It is still early days and there is still much to be decided.

ÒThe initial plan is to have managed music in the evenings, which means a pre-programmed background CD playing rather than DJs playing. There is the possibility that this may change over time, but to start with at least, this will not be the case.

ÒSmith & Jones pubs always have their own name, but the name of the Alton pub hasnÕt yet been decided. We always do a lot of research when coming up with a name, and we always try to make it relevant to the local history of the area.

ÒIt has been confirmed that £750,000 will be spent on fitting out the Alton pub, and a new pub usually creates about 20 full and part-time jobs.Ó

But why was Alton chosen for BarracudaÕs newest project? Mr Deal said: ÒLots of research has been done on the demographic profile of the town, and the decision to invest in the area will have come about as the result of a lot of thought.

ÒA spend of three quarters of a million pounds, indicates a confidence that Alton will do every bit as well as the other Smith & Jones pubs in the UK.Ó