Top music venue in noise row closure fear
HISTORIC music venue Night and Day claims it is under threat of closure over noise complaints from residents.
The cafe, which helped launched the careers of bands like Elbow, is this weekend due to celebrate 30 years since it was founded on Oldham Street in the city centre.
Now management say the bar could be at risk due to a Noise Abatement notice that has been served by the council. This follows complaints about noise made by a resident who moved to the area during lockdown last year, Night and Day claims.
The venue has now launched a petition, backed by Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, calling on council licensing officers to remove the abatement notice.
The petition states: “As the restrictions lifted and life returned to the surrounding Northern Quarter area, we were able to put on our first live music event. The resident visited us next day and has since reported us to Manchester city council a number of times.
“We have met the resident a number of times to explain what we do and that nothing has changed operationally to how we operated pre-lockdown and the 28 years prior to that.”
Among the long list of those to have played early gigs at Night and Day include The Courteeners, The Slow
Readers Club, Elbow, Kasabian, Paulo Nutini, Arctic Monkeys, Manic Street Preachers, The Enemy and Blossoms.
The cafe says the ‘real issue’ is that the council has made ‘ill-considered’ decisions to allow residential development around existing businesses such as the music venue over several years.
Tweeting a link to the petition, Tim said: “This is the crazy situation venues are facing – from people who moved nearby decades after Night and Day started its life as a place to enjoy and play live music. It’s a cultural and social hub Manchester city council – it needs to be able to operate.”
It is not the first time Night and Day has had to fight a noise abatement notice. A similar complaint was made in 2014 which resulted in a hearing at the town hall.
The venue was allowed to keep its licence under new conditions including meeting residents every three months, giving them a contact number for the venue and keeping a complaints book.
The building was originally a fish and chip shop but when it was bought by Dutchman Jan Oldenburg in 1991 he saw its potential as a live venue.”
A spokesperson for Manchester council said: “To be clear the council has not threatened Night and Day with closure. A Noise Abatement Notice (NAN) has been issued following complaints of excessive noise. A NAN cannot be used to close a venue, it is used to prevent continued noise nuisance.
“Following a number of repeated complaints from residents living nearby the council investigated allegations of excessive noise coming from Night and Day. During these visits the Council’s officers found that noise levels were causing a nuisance.” They added: “The venue is entitled to appeal this Notice, and we would encourage them to work with the council to avoid any future enforcement action.”