Norwich’s largest nightclub is facing closure over a seven-year-long row which has cost more than a million pounds, its manager has claimed.
The Evening News today lifts the lid on the wrangle between Mercy nightclub in Prince of Wales Road and Norwich City Council.
It began in 2008, with a city council planning decision to allow an office block next to the 2,300-capacity nightclub to be turned into homes.
Toby Middleton, manager of Mercy nightclub, claims that noise complaints began as soon as residents moved into the new homes, and said he was now instructing solicitors to bring a case against the council.
He said the club had closed for nine months for a costly overhaul to improve soundproofing measures, but it was impossible to solve the problem completely as the homes abut the nightclub and bass lines reverberate through the wall.
The total spent to date, including lawyers and acoustic consultants, exceeded £1m, he claimed, and it was quickly becoming financially unviable to keep the club open.
Mercy remains open for business, and bosses have vowed to do all they can to keep the club open despite issues stemming from the change of use from offices to homes
A spokesman for Norwich City Council said that the authority followed all the correct procedures in its planning decision, with a letter sent to Mercy before the decision was taken, a site notice posted and an advert placed in the press about the proposals.
The spokesman added that officers were aware that the properties were adjoined but were not aware of the risk of structure-borne noise disturbance, believing that triple-glazing on the new homes would address the the air-borne noise disturbance that they were aware of.
City council response
A spokesman for Norwich City Council said: “The city council followed all the correct procedures in this matter and can’t comment any further at this moment in time.”
Asked why triple-glazing was deemed to be sufficient sound insulation, and whether officers mistakenly believed there to be an air gap between the buildings, a spokesman said: “Officers never thought there was an air gap between the properties.
“The council always knew the properties were adjoined, but didn’t know how, so it wasn’t aware of the risk of structure-borne noise disturbance.
“The only noise issue it was aware of in the area was the air borne noise disturbance and this was addressed.”
Nightclub manager Toby Middleton said the authority should have spoken to someone at the club about the proposals, and that a letter through the door was not sufficient.
A council spokesman said: “The council’s contact about the matter wasn’t merely via a letter.
“The council also posted a site notice and put an advert in the press about the proposals.”
Since the office block in St Faith’s Lane was turned into homes, the council’s environmental health team has served Mercy with noise abatement notices to the tune of £80,000.
Mercy employs around 220 people across the business, with 35 of them full-time.
But Mr Middleton claims that mounting legal costs and the amount spent on sound-proofing work have pushed them to the brink.
He said that the club lost more than £200,000 in trade while it was closed for nine months for the re-design, that saw walls brought in and fitted with voids to try to keep sound in, work to the foundations and floors and new sound equipment installed.
Source: Eastern Daily Press
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