Soho bar Sheffield: 'Unacceptable' noise concerns as new city centre bar applies for 5am licence

Soho, at The Plaza, in the West One development on Fitzwilliam Street, Sheffield, close to Devonshire Green and West Street, has applied to Sheffield Council for a licence which would allow live and recorded music to be played there, and alcohol to be sold, from 11am to 5am seven days a week. The application by Wollaton Trade Ltd is for the empty Unit 8 on the ground floor, beside Akbar’s restaurant.

Peter Sephton, chairman of the city centre residents’ association ChangingSheff, has submitted an objection on behalf of residents in the area. His objection states that the hours applied for are ‘totally outside the current opening times for the area’.

“These premises are immediately beneath a substantial number of residential apartments in West One building.

“The business was internally designed as a restaurant, so is unlikely to have the sound-proofing, noise insulation or absorption solutions necessary to retain the noise of a karaoke bar and its ‘singers’ and prevent it disturbing residents in the same building.

“Furthermore, when the customers are leaving the premises, they will disturb the large numbers of residents living nearby. This already occurs from Revolution, which has closing times of 1.30am on three nights, but the doors are onto Fitzwilliam Street. In the case of SOHO, the doors open into West One Plaza, where noises echo upwards to living accommodation. That would be totally unacceptable for people living there.”

Mr Sephton adds that the application ‘de facto’ turns the premises into a nightclub, with the noise of departing revellers bound to disturb those in surrounding buildings in the ‘predominantly residential' area. He states that the residential population of Sheffield city centre is already 25,000 and is expected to hit 35,000 within seven years. He says people cannot ‘live comfortably’ there if the area is turned into a ‘Las Vegas style entertainment world’.

“Sheffield City Council has to make a decision – is the centre going to be predominantly a residential area or an all-night entertainment area? It can’t have both unless the all-night entertainment is restricted to a controlled area such as West Street and Carver Street, as has been the policy in the past,” he adds.

Mr Sephton’s objection refers to the licensing application as being for a venue called SOHO Karaoke Bar, while the application online is listed simply as being for Soho. Neither the application online nor the details listed on the door of the premises refer specifically to karaoke.