Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Nightclub proposal for Social Club fails - Inverness Provost Jimmy Gray moved for the motion however!

In a move that will not only be welcomed by Church Street residents but by many others that live in the town centre the controversial proposal for a night club in the old Wee County Social Club fell at the Inverness and Nairn area planning committee this afternoon. It is indeed interesting and significant that Jimmy Gray tried so hard to poke is nose into Nairn affairs. Mr Gray we can decide for ourselves what we want or don't want in Nairn! We've got a Provost ourselves stick to big city affairs thank you!
We have a report from a Church Street resident and a suggestion:
'For info the nightclub proposal was dismissed at the committee today by 7 votes to 4.
Councillors Marsden and Fraser spoke up for local residents, pointing out how disruptive the club would be. Councillors Park and Macdonald seemed to be in favour but were looking to reduce the opening hours from 3am to 1am and headcount from 350 to 150.

Interestingly the unsuccessful proposal to approve planning was moved by Inverness provost Jimmy Gray who said there had been only a small number of objections and Merkinch councillor Donnie Kerr backed him saying Inverness has lots of nightclubs and they aren't a problem.
The decision is a good result for our great wee residential community and councillors Marsden and Fraser are to be thanked for their common sense.

Will the applicant try again? Here's a brave idea Nairnites: why don't we turn the building back into a cinema? It used to be the Playhouse in the 60s. Nairnites love their films, if Tilda's two festivals are anything to go by...
Jason Rose
Church Street'

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I personally think that this was a terrible decision. Although it may be welcomed by the 11 objectors from Church Street, and the views of a few blinkered others in the community, it is a step in the wrong direction.

You have to consider the local populous as a whole not just the opinion of a few people, and opinion is all this is. There is no evidence that this would result in more noise, nuisance, trouble etc... Who is to say it would not make things better as all the night life would be contained, and thus easier to police and control.

Nairn has a population of approx 9’000 residents, so how an informed decision can be made based on the objections of 11 people (0.12% of the population) is beyond me. Fair enough there will be more than 11 people against this, but that is not to say there is not more for it. This is just not a true reflection of the population of Nairn as a whole.

Nairn is going downhill and every time something looks to move it forward along with the times it gets scuppered by people who probably wish it was still as it was back in the forties. Just look at the town centre now, it looks terrible. Somebody wants to make use of one of these dilapidated buildings and it gets knocked back because of the views of a blinkered few. This building will now sit derelict indefinitely like the others.

A night club would have been a great amenity for many, created jobs, bolstered the local economy and made use of local buildings. So how this can be considered a good decision for the local populace is greatly misguided and tragically unfair.

Jason said...

I would like to reply to the anonymous comment: "There is no evidence that this would result in more noise, nuisance, trouble etc... Who is to say it would not make things better as all the night life would be contained, and thus easier to police and control."

At the planning meeting it was pointed out the noise impact assessment showed a constant bass beat would be heard and felt by the nearest house, so there would be more noise, nuisance, etc. As for making things easier to police it was also pointed out the 3am closing time would extend the need for police and NHS to mop up. These are services we all pay for.

As for the comment about 'only 11 objectors' which seemed to be Provost Gray's point as well, it is worth noting the only reason anyone in Nairn knew about the proposal was an article in the Nairnshire and on the Gurn and the only reason any of us in Church Street knew it was recommended for approval and due to be decided today was because I bumped into a photographer from the P&J on Friday.

Why not a nightclub on the industrial estate? No neighbours to disturb at 3am and the operators could lay on a bus to take people home. Just a thought.

Jason.

Anonymous said...

A significant number of people hang around the town centre and make a nuisance of themselves once they are kicked out of the pubs. Why should town centre residents have to put up with more noise and bad behaviour simply so that money could be made by those who alcohol until 3 in the morning who then take no responsibility for what happens afterwards?

Anonymous said...

To say that there is no evidence of more noise etc shows a degree of ignorance about what happens in the town centre. The reality of town centre life on a Friday or Saturday night is that people hang about for at least an hour after closing time. How would many non town centre residents like it if they had hours of drunk people shouting, screaming, fighting and pissing outside their houses?

This would have been the wrong place for a night club/music venue. Of course it would result in more noise, the numbers involved for a start, the very fact that people would have to queue up to get in (ever been to the Ironworks and waited to get in?), people hanging about outside during the night, then 300+ people pouring out onto the street at closing time and hanging about afterwards.

I totally agree that a suitable venue is needed but it has to be in the right place.

Nairnac said...

The Ballerina ?

dr-grigor said...

I really dont understand the arguement that this is not the right location for a nightclub/Disco.....
It already is !

although numbers spilling out from this buliding/cinema/disco/live entertainment venue has declined over the last few years, we cant forget the 80's when infact this was a busy venue, with live music and discos etc every weekend.

The applicants are not applying for a change of use of the building, but asking for a consideration of a later licence and asking for permitted patrons of 350.
as mentioned in the webcast of the planning meeting,which i found very entertaining ! provost Macdonald mentioned that there must already be a health an safety guideline to numbers permitted for this venue as it stands.

so perhaps the appicants can reapply seeking a lower capacity of patrons and forget the 3am license because that opens the floodgates for other pubs to open till 3am and as mentioned at the meeting nairn only has a 1am license anyway ...
please give it a chance

Anonymous said...

I also noted on the webcast,one of
our local councilors expressed his concern that the pavement outside was only three foot wide,and would not accomodate 350 people.
Talk about "nit picking" they want to wake up and see the need for someone to take Nairn into the Twenty First Century,and not back to the Dark Ages.

Anonymous said...

Come on Dr Grigor, get your facts right. The application is for change of use from Social Club to nightclub.

The 80's was a long time ago (nearly 30 (yes 30) years ago!) and things have moved on.

Drink is far cheaper and more available, opening hours have changed, society has changed, drunk people are more selfish and less considerate......

Hey, isn't the Highland empty now? Have it there? The old community centre, have it there? Rosebank Church, have it there? Chic Henderson's place up in Balmakeith, have it there? The Bus station, have it there?

Anonymous said...

The pubs in Nairn should be made to pay the cost of policing for the goings-on after the pubs shut!!!