Tyne Bridge tower decision is due
NEIGHBOURS HAVE RAISED MAJOR CONCERNS OVER NOISE
A DECISION is finally set to be made on whether one of the Tyne Bridge’s towers can be transformed into a new bar, wedding, and events venue.
The iconic bridge’s north tower is earmarked for a radical overhaul under plans that could see it host corporate functions, art shows, and even club nights.
Neighbours living on the Quayside have raised major fears over “unbearable” noise emanating from the tower if it is allowed to be used for boisterous parties, with developer Tokyo Industries originally asking for a licence to keep it open as late as 3am.
The tower was infamously the scene of an illegal rave on New Year’s Eve 2016 and some residents fear that the new plans could exacerbate problems with drunken, anti-social behaviour.
Tokyo Industries, which runs the Tup Tup Palace and Digital nightclubs, described the development as one that would have “lasting significance for the city and its people”
– and has offered to cut its closing hour to 2am, aside from for a maximum of 12 pre-organised events per year.
Councillors were due to decide in March whether to grant a licence for the venue, but a crunch hearing was postponed as Newcastle City Council began limiting its meetings during the early stages of the UK’s coronavirus outbreak.
The hearing will now be held virtually next Tuesday, May 12.
One worried resident told the council: “Why does a venue aiming to showcase the Tyne Bridge’s many layers of historical significance require a licence to serve alcohol and host the various activities listed in the application?
“Tokyo Industries own nightclubs and bars around the city: is this space effectively going to be a nightclub?”
Council licensing boss Jonathan Bryce has also criticised the “deliberate vagueness” of the plans, saying that there was “no assurance of a controlled operating style”. However, Northumbria Police and the council’s environmental health department both withdrew their objections after the applicant’s offer to reduce the opening hours. A planning application for the project, which won planning permission from the council last year, said: “The project represents a unique opportunity to safely open up and occupy an extraordinary space hidden from public view since its completion.
“The proposals are compatible with existing aims for the city centre, whilst complementing the offer to those seeking a spectacular venue for product launches, art shows, entertainment events, dinners, or weddings.”
The granite tower was originally created as a warehouse but has lain disused for many years.
Why does a venue aiming to showcase the Tyne Bridge’s historical significance require to serve alcohol?
Resident