Developers at the former Gala Bingo hall have finally offered to meet residents campaigning against plans to open a 2,000 capacity club.

Residents were asked to a meeting in nearby Essence Nightclub, according to an invite sent before Easter.

The attempt to meet residents is a change in tune for developers who are still trying to win support for their plans.

Two months after he bought the Kingston venue, for £1.975m in October 2010, owner Franco Lumba said: “Tell them I’m here to stay and I will be disrupting their lives if they want to play hard to get.”

Julian Skeens, lawyer for the bid, wrote in the email: “I intend to call a public meeting so that we can discuss the project in a non-adversarial arena.

“At that meeting I intend to have the representatives from the applicant company and will seek to promote discussion.”

Mr Skeens was not available for comment as the Surrey Comet went to press.

Kingston Arena’s bid for the club was rejected by Kingston Council at a meeting last year.

Campaigner Nicola Duffey, of the Central Canbury Residents’ Association, said she would go to a public meeting to listen but said: “It is out of the residents’ hands now.

“The council has made its decision and we are just abiding by the decision.

“They should have done this months ago.

“I think they are just trying to tick a few boxes.”

Councillor Andrea Craig said: “It is a grave mistake it has taken until now for the applicant to do this because it would have been much more useful had it been done before the council committee decision.”

Kingston Arena’s appeal against the decision to reject planning permission for the club has been delayed from April 16-20 to allow the public meeting to take place.

The appeal will be heard by either three magistrates or a district judge and will have the power to reverse Kingston Council's decision to block the venue in Richmond Road.