NIGHTINGALE FEAR AS CROSBY WINS APPEAL

13-11-2007

Insiders at Birmingham's oldest gay club The Nightingale admit they are worried about its future following a successful appeal by developer Crosby Homes, which plans to build dozens of new apartments nearby.

A decision by the Planning Inspectorate released today has overturned Birmingham Council's decision to reject an application for 162 flats at Unity House in Bromsgrove Street and in the Armouries Building.

Members of the city's Planning Committee feared noise from the 'Gale would deny residents a good night's sleep.

Crosby retaliated last month by making a complaint to the Licensing Committee, arguing that the club generated excessive volume.

Although that claim was rejected, the Planning Inspectorate has now come down in Crosby's favour - albeit with certain conditions.

The company will have to fit sound insulation in the apartments to the NR20 standard - equivalent to triple glazing.

Inspector Mary O'Rourke argued that as long as this condition was met, there should be no cause for noise complaints - and no reason why the Nightingale shouldn't prosper.

One club insider was rather more doubtful, though. He said, "We are still concerned. It's all reliant upon Crosby being compliant with the order, but the people who have the job of making sure they are, are the officers in the Planning Department.

"They didn't seem to enforce everything they had to at the Abacus Apartments in Digbeth where there were similar problems, so how confident can we be?

"Of course we will try and be good neighbour and work with the City Council to make sure all the enforcements go into the build and we'll work with Crosby too.

"But if it's not done right, we'll be the ones who pay. If there are noise complaints we're the ones who could lose our licence.”

(To see the Planning Inspector's decision in full click here for pdf format file)

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