New lease of life for Napoleons Casino

The new owners of the former Napoleons Casino on Ecclesall Road are planning to turn it into a restaurant, bar and 24-hour gym.

The casino was a landmark for four decades but owner Dave Allen announced he was selling up in January, blaming changes in the neighbourhood.

He said at the time: “After 42 years at Ecclesall Road it is a sad day, but time moves on and Ecclesall Road is not what it used to be.”

New owners Murray Road Partners have now submitted plans for a bar and restaurant, although there are no details on opening hours, and a 24-hour gym.

The application has already prompted objections from people near the site.

In a letter, one objector said: “Air con units and extractor fans must be silenced and located away from the houses. These devices will cause significant noise, especially during the night when young families are trying to sleep.

“There should be no live music and no loud music and soundproofing of the building should be undertaken.

“The opening hours of the bar and gym must be restricted, 24-hour opening of the gym will cause noise throughout the night when people arrive and leave. This again will disrupt families trying to sleep.

“Parking in the area is already very difficult, particularly on Blair Athol Road. Consideration should be given to the additional traffic this will bring to the area.”

Another resident says: “I am pleased that the building is being considered for use and I wish Murray Road Partners success in their enterprise. However, it is essential that the application includes soundproofing the bar/restaurant and gym area.

“Parking is a crucial, sensitive part of the application. The car park is just 10 metres from the rear elevation of the houses on Blair Athol Road, so the details of its use have a significant impact upon residents.

“Customer ingress/egress, engine noise, stereos and phone calls represent a significant noise risk.

“The car park also overlooks the gardens of at least nine properties, and is almost level with their first floor windows, which represents a risk to privacy. In my opinion, it should be for staff only to minimise the disruption to neighbours.

“Since Napoleon’s Casino closed the area has been a great deal more peaceful. Any drinking establishment is bound to be detriment to the current environment. Therefore, the opening hours must be conservative, respecting the residents of Ecclesall Road and Blair Athol Road, and not falling back on the precedent of a late night venue in that location.”

Two more residents have asked for further information on the bar and restaurant opening hours and are concerned about being disturbed.

Mr Allen said the closure of nearby Baldwin’s Omega had impacted on his decision to sell the casino.

He said previously: “We are sorry to hear that Dave Baldwin is bringing his era to an end this year, when Baldwin’s Banqueting Suite will close in July.

“Over the years we have always seen a good deal of Baldwins’ business ending up in Napoleons and unfortunately that will no longer be the case.

“We must now look forward to the future and the exciting plans we have in place for the Owlerton and Manchester sites.”

The planning department is considering the application, which can be viewed here:

https://planningapps.sheffield.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=POS4YDNYJKH00