Sheffield city centre bar can keep licence despite complaints over noise
The landlords of the closed Sheffield city centre Revolution bar have been allowed to retain the venue’s drinks licence despite noise complaints by neighbours.
Sheffield City Council’s licensing sub-committee today (July 13) agreed to grant a new licence for the premises on Fitzwilliam Street off West Street to the landlords of the building.
However, chair Coun David Barker said the committee were “disappointed” to hear that tenants of flats in the West One building above the bar never got a satisfactory response to their noise complaints.
He said there are effective ways to combat issues that could include the committee conducting a licence review and imposing further conditions or even revoking it.
The company that ran Revolution on Fitzwilliam Street off West Street went into liquidation in January. At that point a building landlord can apply to retain the licence but the deadline was missed by three days.
Dinosaur
David Roberts, representing Devonshire Green (Commercial Properties) Ltd, said that the firm has applied to take over the licence on the same terms as before to make the property more marketable to a new operator.
“We don’t want a dinosaur of a premises hanging around for years on end,” he said.
Resident Mark Booth said he and partner Maxine have lived in their flat since 2003. They enjoy living there but suffered problems with noise from Revolution “for years”.
The issue is worse in summer when they need the doors open for air circulation.
Mr Booth said the bar’s sound insulation did not work properly, doors were propped open and people congregated outside.
He said they live directly above the bar garden which was supposed to be closed at 10pm but often wasn’t.
Exhausting
“It’s exhausting making a complaint,” he said, “It’s exhausting going through the process. Sometimes you think I just can’t do it this time.”
Peter Sephton of city centre residents’ group Changing Sheff said that he takes up issues for members. Often bar managers aren’t aware of licence conditions, such as closing the outdoor area and removing chairs and tables at 10pm.
Others say they can do what they like, he added.