Bar owner's fears over flats plan for former Cheshire nightclub
Plans have been lodged to create 10 one-bed apartments
Kyle Frost-Morgan, right, who owns a number of late-night venues close The Cave premises in Macclesfield, with Jack Bellis, co-owner of The White Lion (Supplied)
Plans to turn The Cave in Macclesfield into apartments could threaten the night-time economy because of potential noise complaints from new tenants, a local business owner has said.
Mohammed Yasir has applied to Cheshire East Council for permission to partially demolish the premises on Mill Street to provide 10 one-bed apartments. The property, which is currently empty, was once a cinema but more recently has been used as a bar.
Kyle Frost-Morgan, who runs No 8 Dukes and Dukebox Bar, situated immediately adjacent to the proposed site within Dukes Court, has objected to the proposal, raising concerns about the impact a residential development could have on the long-established night-time economy in that part of the town centre.
Those two venues have premises licences which allow them to trade until 3am seven days a week. Mr Frost-Morgan said in his objection to the council: “The viability of these businesses is heavily reliant on the absence of nearby residential dwellings, allowing them to operate responsibly within the framework of their licences without causing undue disruption.
“The introduction of residential flats directly next to or in close proximity to these premises will almost certainly result in future noise complaints, pressure on licensing restrictions, and operational limitations that are fundamentally incompatible with the current use of this area.”
He said Mill Street and Dukes Court have functioned as a hub for Macclesfield’s late-night hospitality sector for several decades. “The courtyard has continuously housed licensed premises dating back to the late 1980s, forming an essential part of the town’s cultural and economic fabric.
“This is not a mixed-use or transitional area, but one clearly defined by its longstanding role as a non-residential, entertainment-focused zone,” said Mr Frost-Morgan, who also runs The White Lion on Mill Street.
Jack Bellis, his business partner at the White Lion, has also objected to the application. His objections have not yet appeared on the planning portal on the council’s website. The application, number 26/0581/FUL, can be viewed on the planning portal on Cheshire East Council’s website.
The last date for submitting comments is April 1.