After consultation with the police and members of the Tamworth and District Liquor Accord, the hotel, on the corner of Brisbane and Marius streets, introduced a 12.30am lock-out, a courtesy bus service on Friday and Saturday nights, a blanket no shots policy and a Smart Shout system where all bars are closed for a period of time at 1am, and free bottles of water are given to patrons.

Other initiatives include the employment of a responsible service of alcohol officer, who operates discreetly, refusal to sell ready-to-drink alcoholic drinks which have an alcohol content of seven per cent or more, and installing CCTV and state-of-the-art infrared surveillance cameras.

Imperial owner Matthew Zell said a number of other initiatives were being looked at to enhance the hotel’s safety and image.

“Police provided us with a management plan containing many suggestions, which we have implemented,” Mr Zell said.

The business recently opened the upstairs Brown Fox Lounge, which he said was marketed as a venue for private functions, meetings and conferences.

Local man Ken Nicholson, who started a petition against the upstairs lounge, beer garden and carpark areas being given liquor licences and their operating hours extending from midnight until 3am from Mondays to Saturdays, said he thought the hotel’s new licensing conditions were probably some of the strictest in the city.

About 1400 people signed the petition.

“There’s been a lot of problems here, unfortunately, with the Imperial Hotel. They empty them (patrons) out at 3am and there’s been brawls happening,” Mr Nicholson said.

He lodged an objection with the Licensing Court of NSW against the carpark being turned into a licensed entertainment area, arguing it would worsen the incidence of anti-social behaviour.

Mr Zell confirmed the hotel’s upstairs lounge and beer garden were now licensed to operate until 3am from Thursdays to Saturdays and until midnight Sunday to Wednesday. The carpark will not become an entertainment area.