A bid to prevent a town centre bar from operating has been overturned by a government inspector.
Hartlepool Borough Council had rejected an application for a bar at The Intro, on York Road, in November due to concerns from councillors over a potential increase in crime and noise.
The venue, which has since rebranded as Screams Court 2.0, had already started operating as a coffee bar and live music venue without permission a month before the decision, when it relocated to the York Road premises from Hartlepool Marina.
The Planning Inspectorate ruled the venue would have "an acceptable effect" on the living conditions of neighbours in terms of noise.
A report added the development would not "unacceptably increase the potential for crime", reports the Local Democracy Reporting service.
In July last year, a licensing application was approved to give the York Road site permission to sell alcohol and play live and recorded music.
It also imposed conditions such as installing a noise limiter.