Plans for late-night music club submitted

3.30AM CLOSING FOR VENUE

PLANS have been put forward for a new city centre late night live music bar with a 3.30am closing time in Newcastle’s gay quarter.

Trafalgar Leisure, the firm behind Powerhouse, Rusty’s and the Blackett Arms, has submitted plans to Newcastle City Council to convert a former warehouse on Marlborough Crescent near the Centre for Life.

Formerly a car showroom and a warehouse, the building is currently empty.

It is hoped the 800sqm site can be turned into a live music venue with opening hours between 9am and 3.30am seven nights a week.

The application states there will be five full-time and 15 part-time jobs up for grabs at the venue.

Newcastle City Council had previously given the go-ahead for the building to be converted into a lap dancing club in 2010, despite objections from nearby residents.

Residents had complained it would bring an increased level of crime and disorder and noise to the ares, however, city planners said there was no evidence of this.

Concerns had also been raised that the lap dancing club would not fit in with the gay quarter area, which has a number of popular gay bars and clubs on nearby streets.

The firm was told it would have to soundproof the building if it were to go ahead with the plans, however, that planning permission has now expired.

Plans for the new late-night live music venue were submitted to the council last week and Northumbria Police and ward councillors Nick Forbes, Joanne Kingsland and Geoff O’Brian have been invited to comment on the application.