A Liverpool city centre Irish bar has won the right to open until 4am despite concerns from residents living nearby about potential noise issues.
An application by Lanigan’s bar on Wood Street to extend its opening hours has been approved by Liverpool Council despite a number of objections claiming it would impact people’s ability to sleep.
Residents had written to the council complaining that a closing time of 4am would have an effect on their properties and urged the decision be rejected.
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Under its current licence, Lanigan’s is allowed to open until 3.30am and serve alcohol until 30 minutes before closing time. The application was considered by the local authority’s licensing and gambling sub-committee this morning.
In a bid to mitigate any potential issues, officials from the bar agreed to limit the later closing time to Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as a number of conditions agreed between themselves and environmental health officials.
Karl Barry, licensing agent on behalf of Tipp-Pool Ltd, the company behind Lanigan’s, said the business first opened under its current management in November last year following a £600,000 refurbishment. He said the applicants were an Irish company that had come to Liverpool and wanted to “work together” with residents to solve problems.
Regarding concerns around noise, it was said the 150-capacity venue had not been required to fit a limiter. The meeting was told how officials from the bar had worked in the late night industry across the UK and Ireland for three decades and increased noise was “no good for customers.”
Representatives from the bar, which has applied to be part of the Liverpool BID District, said: “We don’t want it to be too loud, we want to help.”
Michael Cave attended the committee to offer his opposition to the plans. He said he had struggled for the past 20 years with noise living on Wood Street and as a result had a “very limited window of sleep.”
To extend the opening hours would “reduce this by 25 to 30%,” he said, and he felt residents were being “pushed into a corner.” Mr Cave said efforts to move speakers and place them into brackets “wouldn’t fix the issue” adding how music could be heard throughout his whole building.
The acoustic engineer agreed however there was “no magic solution.” Mr Barry said in a bid to assist residents, Lanigan’s was willing to restrict its late opening hours to Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with Sunday to Wednesday remaining at 3am.
Additionally, live music must end at 1.30am every day.
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