A new nightspot in Frome has been given the green light to host live music and serve alcohol, despite concerns from local residents.
Earthaus Property Ltd. was granted permission in May 2024 to convert four flats at 1 Saxonvale into an eight-bedroom hotel, which will have views of the town centre's Saxonvale regeneration site.
Saxonvale Ltd. plans to utilise the ground floor and courtyard as a café, bar, and venue for late-night events, including live music performances and pizza sales to patrons.
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Somerset Council has approved the licence for the Frome establishment, paving the way for its opening in the coming months, despite objections from neighbours.
The council's licensing sub-committee east discussed the application details during their meeting on April 10 in Shepton Mallet.
Business owner Andrew Harding described his enterprise as "a community hub of hospitality, wellness, workspace and learning in Frome".
The newly issued licence allows for live music within the ground floor and courtyard areas from 5pm to 11pm, Wednesday through Sunday.
Additionally, recorded music is permitted both indoors and outdoors starting at 8am daily, with closing times varying from 10:30pm on Sundays to 2:30am on Fridays and Saturdays.
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The venue is also authorised to host live dance performances, with the possibility of events running until 2am on Fridays, and earlier finishing times on other days.
The approved hours for the sale of alcohol for consumption both on and off the premises are from 8am daily, with the last orders ranging from 10:30pm on Sundays to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Following consultation with Avon and Somerset Constabulary, the premises have been permitted to accommodate up to 100 people on the ground floor, 60 in the basement, and 140 in the courtyard.
Between November and December 2024, the site hosted seven licensed events using temporary event notices (TENs), which resulted in a single complaint of excessive noise.
Prior to the meeting, several local residents expressed concerns about noise, arguing that frequent live music events would negatively impact their quality of life.
John Scott, a resident of 2 Church Street, voiced his objections: "Four nights of music per week feels excessive and will be highly disruptive to our home life. There is no sound insulation between the proposed venue and our home."
Scott also highlighted the needs of his son: "My son has autistic spectrum disorder and needs peace to relax and maintain good mental health."
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Joanna Pitcairn, the owner of the property rented by Scott, echoed his concerns: "Any tenant living in this property will have their right to enjoy peaceful occupation of the property they are resting in violated.
"Any child living in my property would be deprived of sleep, which is vital for children's health.
"Any music would need to be of a level so as not to cause a nuisance."
Karen Huckle also expressed her concerns about the late opening hours: "Late opening hours will disturb residents particularly during the week.
"Other customers will gravitate here as other venues close for the night, and extended drinking hours are likely to lead to antisocial behaviour at a time when police presence is minimal.
"The planned closing times will inevitably lead to street disturbance in the early hours of the morning.
"I am not convinced that an 'arts club' needs such extended opening or drinking hours."
Mr Harding has committed to investing in substantial soundproofing for the establishment and plans to install "sound limiters" on speakers to minimise noise disruption for neighbours.
He also mentioned that he would enforce a "no-return policy" after a set time in the evening, which would be monitored by security staff, aiming to "reduce the chances of rowdy behaviour".
Following these commitments, the sub-committee decided to approve the licence according to the original terms proposed.