Residents of central Newport are objecting to a new bar planned for the former Pizza Express site, which is set to bring live back into the town and create 30 jobs.
As a result of the objections from neighbours, who say it is not suitable for a residential area, the plans for Wyld will now go before the Isle of Wight Council’s licensing sub-committee.
Wyld has submitted a new premises licence application for a restaurant/cafe/bar located on the junction of Town Lane and Pyle Street, but its initial plans have been modified following residents’ feedback.
In licensing documents, applicants Wyld Bars say its target customer is a young, working female professional who loves to eat, drink and socialise with friends while using social media to publish moments of their day-to-day life. Signs on the building, on Pyle Street, say it will be ‘the sassiest and most instagramable cafe’, opening in September.
The former pizza restaurant is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment and will include the installation of new seating booths, a full paint inside and outside as well as general maintenance. It will create 30 new jobs as well as making the town centre more appealing to young people.
In its application, Wyld is asking to play films, live and recorded music, as well as host dance performances, supplying alcohol and late night refreshments. It has asked to provide the entertainment and alcohol from 11:00 to 00:01 Monday to Saturday and 11:00 to 23:00 on Sundays. Recorded music is asked to be permitted for 30 minutes longer.
The hours asked for, Wyld say, will also have a drink up time of 30 minutes after alcohol sales finish at midnight.
Residents in the flats above and in the Savoy Court opposite are not happy with the proposals.
One neighbour has said:
“We are not killjoys and were young once but these hours are surely not suitable with so many residents in the flats. Quite frankly we are worried sick.”
Another resident has said even though they had received a leaflet from Wyld saying how it would limit the noise, the real nuisance comes from outside the venue with smokers, or when people leave the venue late at night under the influence. They have said it is accepted a level of night-time disturbance is expected living in the town centre but “the granting of this licence has real potential to accelerate this a level far beyond [what is acceptable].”
However, in a response to the comments, Wyld has said the operating hours have been carefully crafted to ensure a gradual dispersal of patrons and despite the licensing hours, it is proposed to close at 23:00 Sunday to Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday.
The council’s Environmental Health officials said the objective for the prevention of public nuisance may be compromised by the proposed activities and have objected until a second set of doors are installed to prevent noise escaping. Wyld has said it is intending to do the work but it cannot be done immediately.
In the licensing report, council officers reminded the committee individuals are responsible for their own behaviour once they leave the immediate vicinity.
It has been recommended the licence be granted by the committee, subject to any additional modifications or conditions they deem appropriate.
The committee will meet next Thursday (26th August) to determine the licence.
target customer…young, working female professional
so they will alienate young working male professionals, all other males, those who are at home mums, those who are not young by their definition and those who are between jobs. That pretty much means that they will not survive, as the hospitality industry in that sector, must be welcoming to all – or it will fail miserably.
Errrr no target young females and then the males will flock to the place because there’s females by default. Or maybe I just understand advertising.
Exactly right Ed Down – in certain parts of the trade bars with a stated demographic like this one are know as “honey pots” – Bring the attractive girls in and the men with their very high wet sales spend per head will follow like bees to………..you get it.
not so these days ed – you are not in tune with the mindset today – open and inclusive to all or fail.
The same problems occur if you live near a rural pub, the noise from outside, smokers, drunks not giving a stuff that people who live around them, have to wake up at 6am and go to work at the hospital, and getting the council to do anything is nearly impossible, oh you are told to fill out a form for 2 weeks about the noise, why. The staff in these places don’t help either, they add to the noise. Money before people yet again. Let’s just say I’ve had enough of noise from the pub near me, and if the council and environmental health don’t do anything I damn well will, even if it means getting arrested.
I know exactly where you’re coming from and our council needs to get its act together and remember who the council tax payers are. Us. People, with jobs, lives and businesses to run ourselves. We don’t pay rent/mortgage, council tax and the rest to be at the mercy of someone else’s noise nuisance.
For those who say move, it’s not that simple – for a host of reasons. One of which is that no one else wants to live under those conditions either!
Another Chicago Rock.. I worry about the local residents sleep, yet more urban lifestyle tat for Newport & a further loss of its’ once County Town charm
Why buy a flat in the centre of the Island’s County Town? It makes me so cross. There is zero stuff for young adults on this fun-vacuum of an Island….
Move then.
The flats opposite have been there years and away from the noise of the high st. This is the wrong place for this type of establishment
This is what happens when you have years and years of allowing high streets to be converted into more and more residential accomodation. You can’t then expect people not to object to businesses that want to operate until late in the evening. We can’t have it both ways.
There’s a housing crisis, property is in short supply. It’s not good enough anymore for people to say “oh well you should just move if you don’t like the noise.” A lot of people take properties because they have to not because they want to. It really is about what you value more – a club being able to play music and serve alcohol late into the night or the quality of life of locals who need to get up for work on a morning. Surely there should be a compromise and noise in residential areas should stop by 11pm every night.
there isn’t a housing crisis – there is an overpopulation and immigration crisis that needs stopping. There is plenty of housing for islanders, if the real reason was addressed.
There really isn’t an immigration crisis.
yes there is fanny – have a look around you.
yes there is fanny – have a look around, none wight people everywhere.
I think “Killjoy residents” is a bit strong, Wyld’s marketing of the place is probably more rose tinted than the shocking pink that is on the walls and men would call the marketing sexist at best. Quite where the droves of their target customers a young, working female professional are going to come from and what will they do with there fellas while they are busy sassying and instagraming is anyones guess, probably be out in the street fighting.
It should be turned down because of its discrimination against older people and men . There is no room for discrimination of any kind in this world .
Yes indeed what about the trans people!
TRASH customers no doubt
And mainly women. Imagine the loud shrill screechiness, nothing worse than hen parties and any kind of raucous female gathering, even worse when drink is involved. I shudder to think what the poor long suffering locals will have to put up with if this goes ahead.
Seems NIMBY lot are living in a town centre but think a town centre shouldn’t grow. Clear indication of their broken logic. They spend time stopping job creation on the island.
I wouldn’t fancy living there but here where the public transport is so poor and so overpriced there’s a lot to be said for a little place in the town centre.
Really Island Echo. It’s that kind of headline that shows the IE is the island’s equivalent of The Sun.
Not nice for people living in close proximity to this place…not nice at all. How are they expected to sleep with music playing until late. Totally inappropriate location for this type of establishment. Have the council agreed the music license yet????? They shouldn’t.
This will all be passed ,,one way or another as the council want to upgrade lol regenerate Newport
I think a good idea another pub or club in Newport at least it creates jobs for people