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Objectors who opposed bar’s bid to open until 6am |
Chapel unites with neighbours to block bar’s 6am drinks plans
1am closing time ordered after objectors complain of early-morning noise
LEADING figures at the world-famous Wesley Chapel are among neighbours who have welcomed the rejection of a Finsbury nightclub’s bid to open until 6am at weekends.
Objectors told a licensing committee on Monday that the City Road area was predominantly residential, with more homes being built, and there had been problems with noise and nuisance from Yeungs City Bar and Restaurant under a previous management.
The committee decided that the club must close at 1am Friday and Saturday and prove to residents it can keep customers under control.
Bunhill Lib Dem councillor Ruth Polling spoke on behalf of residents of Lexington apartments in City Road and the Wesley Chapel. Lord Griffiths, chairman of the national methodist heritage committee, lives at the chapel.
She added: “Late-night clubs inevitably cause problems for residents. There are already a number of other clubs in the area responsible for noise and nuisance in the early hours.
“Clubbers don’t just dance all night and say bye-bye to each other. They tend to stand around talking in the street and sometimes shouting and screaming. They blast their horns at each other. Who wants that on a Sunday morning?”
She added that clubs attracted illegal minicabs, which sounded their horns to get attention. Cllr Polling said: “I’ve walked in this area on Sunday mornings and seen members of the chapel on their way to services having to step over urine and vomit.
“This is a thriving residential community. They deserve peace and quiet just like everyone else.”
Minister at the chapel, the Rev Jennifer Potter, said she and Lord Griffiths both live on the premises, which are surrounded by late-night clubs.
“Nightclubbers will see a church and think that nobody lives there and park across our gateway,” she added.
“On several occasions residents from the chapel have been out late and not been able to get back in because of parked cars. Our church minibus can’t always get in or out.”
She added that litter left by clubbers and pools of vomit outside the chapel on a Sunday morning were “very unpleasant for the congregation who arrive for church”.
Ms Potter said the chapel, Bunhill Fields – where poet William Blake is buried – and nearby Quaker Garden attracted visitors from all over the world.
“The problem is that there is no one to clean up all the mess after the nightclubs close on Sunday morning,” she added.
Lib Dem councillor Tracy Ismail voiced concern about the increasing number of “private parties” – commercially advertised on the internet – being held at clubs in the area.
Yeungs representative, Shaun Murkett, said that as a result of problems with previous management the club had taken every step to keep noise and nuisance to a minimum.
“More than £130,000 has been spent on soundproofing,” he added. “And we’ve had no opposition from police or the council’s noise control team.
“One of the reasons we want to stay open until 6am is so that clubbers can get a Tube train, which don’t run during the night.”
He added that the club wished to work with residents.
“We are only too aware that if there were any problems we could be back here defending our licence at a review allowed under the 2003 Licensing Act,” he said. |
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