Wollongong City Council has suggested that Clifton's Imperial Hotel operate at reduced trading hours and its owner install higher barriers to protect the privacy of its neighbours.The pub's owner, WIN Corporation, had its plans for a $1.6 million refurbishment and re-opening sent back to the drawing boards in March, after residents raised concerns about noise, privacy, waste, traffic and parking issues at an Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel (IHAP) meeting.A council report on the amended plans rejected WIN's application to trade until midnight six days a week, as allowed under its liquor licence.Instead, the council recommended midnight trading be reduced to Fridays and Saturdays, with the pub to close at 10pm the rest of the week.On late-trading nights, use of the outdoor decking would cease at 10pm, and 9pm on other days, and the lawn area would be limited to daylight hours.The council also favoured the raising of screening walls from a proposed 1.5m to 1.8m to help protect neighbourhood privacy.Clifton homeowner Wayne Gordon, one of nine residents to lodge objections to the amended plans, said he considered a trading hours reduction to be a reasonable outcome for both parties.But he was scathing about the lack of parking that will be provided under the proposal, labelling the use of a loophole in the 2009 Wollongong Development Control Plan (DCP) to reduce the required number of spaces as "ridiculous".Standard DCP conditions require the development to have 106 parking spaces. However, concessions allowed under the hotel's existing and historical use rights lower the required parking to just 14 spaces - 10 fewer than WIN's proposed number of 24.Mr Gordon queried where the remaining cars would park. "Parking is a major issue. The concession is ridiculous," he said. "It's already difficult to get in and out of lanes here anyway, without more traffic."The council report noted the lack of parking as a "concern" and said the additional parking would be "very beneficial".The report will be considered by IHAP at its forthcoming meeting, next Tuesday.