New bar and club gets licence despite asbestos objection

New bar and club gets licence despite asbestos objection

A new bar and club in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter has been granted a licence despite objections over safety from a publican with a bar in a neighbouring street.

Belfast City Council’s Licensing Committee approved an application for an entertainments licence for Common Market, which occupies the site of the old Arnott’s fruit warehouse at Dunbar Street.

The venue describes itself as a food, events and function space which supports local charities and communities and offers the best street on offer in the city.

The licensing committee approved the application from Alana Fox of Carlisle Inns, who is also the licensee for the adjacent 39 Gordon Street and Lux, despite objections from John Morgan, who was involved in a previous application for an entertainment licence at the premises.

Mr Morgan, who owns a bar in Tomb Street, stated that his main concern was the safety and welfare of patrons and businesses in the immediate vicinity.

He described Common Market as a a “pop up pub” which lacked planning permission for its current use , had inadequate provision of emergency exits and also had asbestos in its build, which “could be released by sound energy or rhythmic movement”.

In February 2020 the company behind Common Market was given planning permission to transform Arnott’s fruit warehouse into a 1,600 capacity venue, hosting live music and DJs.

‘Commercial objection’

Ms Fox said the objection was “a commercial objection which is unfounded, without merit and does not stand up to scrutiny”.

The council officer report states: “The existing roof of this building is covered with profiled cement-based sheets which contain asbestos. An asbestos report was submitted with the application, although the report did not mention the effect that loud music may have on the asbestos sheets. The applicant provided a further specialist report which detailed air sampling before and after playing loud music.

“This report was provided to the Health and Safety Unit within the City and Neighbourhood Services Department, which has confirmed that the report by the asbestos analyst indicates that noise-induced asbestos fibre release is unlikely and, subject to the duty holder’s ongoing responsibility to manage the asbestos containing materials within the premises, it would have no concerns.”

A council officer told the committee: “We will continue to have a controlling role. If it transpires that the entertainment they are providing goes outside what has been outlined in the asbestos report then we would have to look very carefully at what additional measures might be required. But we will keep an eye on what is proposed.”

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