A bid to turn a former Isle of Wight church into a Lounges café bar, similar to Newport’s Correo Lounge, has encountered stiff resistance from residents.
Hospitality chain Loungers UK applied for a premises license to open a food and drink venue in the disused, early 20th century Cowes Methodist Church.
However, the application was met with objections from five members of the public at a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council’s licensing sub committee on Friday.
One critic, David Millar, said the application was “wrong” on the basis of both the building and location.
He said:
“I believe the noise will be considerable – I do not believe this is a typical family eating place – if so why the late hours?
“Inside they will demand music and you may call it background music – to me background music is somebody tinkling on a piano.
“This to me is heavy rock, what I hear coming from these establishments: thumping bass noise.”
West Hill Road resident Susan Brown said:
“The use proposed by the applicant is nothing like what was there before.
“There has been considerable opposition to this application in the community.
“It’s not really wanted by the community, in my view.”
Birmingham Road resident Peter Morton said:
“I still believe there is a public nuisance issue with this application.
“And despite the applications, the assertions from Loungers, this is bound to turn into another party house venue – in the same manner as most of the clubs and most of the pubs and restaurants in Cowes are used for that purpose.
“And as Susan said, yachties are quite noisy and tend to stay up late, and I don’t believe it’s going to be any different here than any of the other establishments in Cowes.
“And this is not in the high street, it’s in a residential area.”
A spokesperson for Loungers UK said:
“We recruit locally, wherever possible, so we bring benefit of employment to the town.
“We don’t create the impression that at 11pm or midnight, whenever we close, there’s going to be 200 people at a lounge and then dispersing onto the high street.
“It’s not the way a lounge operates.”
Loungers UK operates over 230 sites across the UK with two brands: The Lounges and The Cosy Clubs.
Boy, 15, Arrested Following Sandown Stolen Car Crash
Death Of Lake Woman In 30s Not Linked To Hazardous Materials As First Suspected
Emergency Powers Used To Secure Derelict Sandown Hotel
Cowes Couple Appeal "Intrusive" Extension Refusal
ExxonMobil Pipeline Consultation Ends Today
Dog Control Plans To Go Under Consultation Today
Saturday Night Fever - Newport Nightclub To Close After Weekend Send-Off
Emergency Service Crews Called To Fire At Lynnbottom Tip
Isle Of Wight Veteran Plays Basketball For Help For Heroes
Ryde School Meeting Focuses On Contentious Closure Plans
ExxonMobil Reacts Following Isle Of Wight Council CO2 Pipeline Concerns
Controversial Newport Housing Plan Removed Due To 'Concerns'
ExxonMobil Reacts To Quigley CO2 Pipeline Concerns
Friends Fund TV To Assist In Helping To Educate Patients
Plans Revealed For Disused Cowes Church To Become Café Bar
Bacon Backs Fight Against School Closure Misinformation
Storm Ciaran And Storm Babet Flood Reports Published For Newport, East Cowes And Ryde
Temporary Closures On The Isle Of Wight Add To Crisis In Community Pharmacies
Isle Of Wight Government Support In The Pipeline Following Quigley ExxonMobil Action
