A transformation of the former O2 Academy into new venue NX Newcastle could be the “final straw” for fed up city centre neighbours.
Plans were unveiled earlier this year for a £1.75m overhaul of the Westgate Road music venue, which is due to reopen in October after a refurbishment. But the Electric Group’s proposals have run into some opposition from Tyneside authorities and nearby residents, who fear that efforts to extend the venue’s opening hours to 4.30am for four extra nights will create “totally unnecessary” nuisance and turn the site into something more akin to a nightclub than a gig venue.
A hearing is due to be held next week where councillors will rule on whether to approve a new licence for NX Newcastle, where Northumbria Police are also set to oppose the scheme. The new owners have promised a “fantastic musical experience for audiences without disturbing residents”.
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Electric Group’s plans would push the closing time of NX Newcastle back to 4.30am Monday to Saturday, while the Academy could only stay open that late on Friday and Saturday. They would also up the venue’s capacity from 2,000 to 2,095 and create a new roof terrace area, as well as involving a major revamp of its decor, lighting, floors, and bars.
Ahead of next Tuesday’s Newcastle City Council hearing, multiple residents around the Clayton Street West area have lodged objections in a bid to stop the new licence being approved. The Crown Leaseholders Association, on behalf of Clayton Street West Leaseholders Association, told the council that city centre residents “put up with an awful lot” but the prospect of another nightclub so close to people’s homes was “final straw”.
Other locals echoed concerns that the existing noise caused by drunken revellers can be “intolerable” and the changes at the former Academy would likely make the problem worse. One objector wrote: “We already have enough noise pollution, drunken behaviour, vandalism, and causal drug taking here at the weekends, but to extend this through the week til 4am is utterly abhorrent, totally unnecessary, and highly questionable.”
Rival venues Tup Tup and Digital have also objected, claiming Electric Group’s plans would “move the venue away from a live music event space to a club night led venue”, as have Northumbria Police, two councillors, and the city council’s licensing and environmental health departments.
Electric Group Co-founder and CEO Dominic Madden said that the company had enjoyed “long-standing success” in London and Bristol, including its flagship Electric Brixton, as a “product of delivery and community”.
He added: ”We work in partnership with local people. NX Newcastle will follow the same pattern, providing a fantastic musical experience for its audiences without disturbing residents in the area by virtue of rigorous operational procedures. We look forward to discussing our licence proposal with the local authority next week and to addressing any concerns.”
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