Twenties bar gets all-clear
A 1920s-themed bar has finally been given the all-clear to open on Newcastle’s Diamond Strip.
Plans for the Boardwalk venue earmarked for the popular Collingwood Street were delayed three times when they were due to come before councillors earlier this year, but have at last been signed off.
Developers pushed for a licence to open the “high-end” bar and restaurant after the Covid-19 pandemic severely hampered plans to turn the disused Metropolitan House into the multi-million pound Metropolitan Hotel.
With the previously approved hotel construction pushed back to 2023, High Street Hospitality launched a bid in the meantime to open the ground floor bar and restaurant that formed part of the original £2.5m plans.
Following a hearing last week, Newcastle City Council has confirmed that it has now granted a licence allowing the Boardwalk to open – despite concerns that the Diamond Strip is already at “saturation point” with bars and clubs.
The authority’s licensing subcommittee said that there were “exceptional circumstances” that would allow the venue to open and that “the combination of licensable hours and conditions provided should ensure that the licensing objectives are promoted and there will be no negative impact upon them”.
Alcohol sales at the Boardwalk will only be via waiters and to customers who are seated, rather than operating like a jam-packed bar, and will end at midnight.
Representing the applicant, now known as the One Collection Group, at last week’s council hearing, solicitor Matt Foster said that guests at the Boardwalk will be treated to an “authentic 1920s theme with character performances to add a bit of fun and excitement”.
He added: “We believe that this plan fits in with the council’s desire to see quality venues in the city rather than stagnation.
“It is the kind of high-end venue you would find in Grey Street or the NE1-refurbished Bigg Market.
“This application represents the start of a major investment for the One Collection Group.”
However, council licensing boss Jonathan Bryce pointed out that there will be no food served at the Boardwalk at 9pm and that Collingwood Street has a “very high concentration of licensed premises”.
The Metropolitan Hotel development had sparked opposition from some neighbours at the Stamp Exchange building back in 2019.