Church piano bar wins bid to stay open until 02:00

A man wanting to open a late night piano bar inside a church near a conservation area has won a battle to stay open until 02:00 after a council had ruled against it.

Government officials say the new venue at the vacant St Michael at Plea Church in Redwell Street, Norwich, can stay open until the early hours for a 12-month trial.

Neighbours objected to the plans for the Grade I listed building when they first emerged and Norwich City Council imposed a strict condition for it to close by midnight.

But John Taylor, who is behind the scheme, insists the venue will be a "relaxed" and "slightly cultured place" and that he hopes customers will visit for late night music after a meal at a restaurant.

Taylor was granted an alcohol licence for the venue in June last year and he gained planning permission to turn the former church into a piano bar a month later.

The decision followed fierce resistance from neighbours, who were worried about the increased noise caused by the site in combination with another music venue opening in nearby Princes Street, at the former United Reformed Church.

Taylor appealed to the Planning Inspectorate, which presides over planning disputes, to allow him to open until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.

After reviewing the situation, inspector David Reed sided with Taylor and agreed the bar's later closing time should be trialed for 12 months.

In his decision notice, Reed said: "While a precautionary approach to protect the interests of nearby residents can be justified… this is outweighed in this case by the benefits of establishing whether the piano bar can operate for the extended hours required within acceptable noise limits.

"This could potentially secure an appropriate reuse for one of Norwich's redundant churches and make a useful contribution to the vitality and economy of the city centre."

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