Hereford nightclub’s outdoor extension opposed

A plan to open an outdoor bar area at a central Hereford nightclub has been called into question over noise concerns.

Steven Harrison applied to extend the drinks and music licence of The Venue in Gaol Street to the new bar, which would close 30 minutes before the premises’ regular licence ends at 4am, or 3am on Sundays.

This would be on the far (north) side of the club from the street entrance, next to an existing garden and smoking area, plans with the application show.

But an unnamed environmental health officer at Herefordshire Council has objected to this change in the licence, describing the spot as “a noise-sensitive area with residential properties nearby”.

“Officers in the past have noted, when stood outside the premises, that loud music with heavy bass is emanating from the enclosed premises and is audible in the immediate area,” the officer wrote, adding that extending permission to an outside bar surrounded by hard surfaces “raises significant noise management concerns”.

As a result, the application has now been passed to the council’s licensing sub-committee to decide next Thursday (August 17).

The Venue was first licenced in August 2015.

Nearly a third of Britain’s nightclubs have closed since the pandemic, industry data published this week show.