Hartlepool bar The Intro appeals against Hartlepool Borough Council 's decision to refuse it planning permission
A planning appeal has been lodged over a decision from councillors to refuse permission for a bar to operate in Hartlepool town centre.
Coffee bar and live music venue The Intro opened at 117 York Road last October, despite planning permission not being in place, after previously being located on Hartlepool Marina before closing in June.
An application from Ashley Johns at Team Tilly Leisure to gain approval retrospectively to operate the bar from the building went before Hartlepool Borough Council’s planning committee in November.
The proposals had been recommended for approval by officers, who felt there “would not be significant negative impact on neighbour amenity, highway safety or waste management” from the development.
Yet the application was unanimously rejected by councillors, with three reasons given for the decision.
They ruled the proposal “would result in an unacceptable impact on the amenity of neighbouring properties in terms of noise and disturbance” and could lead to “a potential increase in crime and fear of crime.”
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The third reason was they deemed the development would result in “health and safety issues including potential fire risk” due to the layout and “lack of suitable in-curtilage waste storage provision.”
The latest meeting of the council’s planning committee was informed an appeal has now been lodged over the refusal on behalf of the applicant, meaning it will go to the national Planning Inspectorate for a final ruling.
A supporting statement, submitted by planning agent ASP Services, argued the application “should not have been refused” and the applicant “worked tirelessly” to meet all design, operational and legal requirements.
It said: “We are therefore submitting a planning appeal against the decision in the belief that it does not cause detrimental effect to the area or any health and safety issues for its proposed use.
“It should have been granted permission to prevent the property from becoming damaged through the deterioration of the property being left vacant.”
It added the applicant has undertaken a fire assessment “in which no major concerns were seen”.
In July last year a licensing application was approved to give the York Road site permission to sell alcohol and play live and recorded music during designated hours.
It also imposed conditions such as installing a noise limiter, which is in place.