Lancaster bands Massive Wagons and The Lovely Eggs join pub's fight to block flats plan

Lancaster-based TFHT Properties want to convert the first and second floors of 4 China Street, opposite The Pub and currently a three-bedroom flat, into two one-bedroom flats.

Around 1,700 comments have been lodged with the city council's planning office, the large majority from people objecting to the scheme.

And on social media, music lovers in their droves have been making their feelings clear.

Management at The Pub are worried residents in the flats would complain about noise from the venue, leading to restrictions on live music performances.

The Pub holds regular live music nights throughout the year, including outdoor gigs in the beer garden.

They said: "We think this is a poor location for any residents; local businesses like ourselves currently work well together and create a vibrant atmosphere throughout the day and night.

"Sadly, many people move into vibrant city centre locations and then complain about the noise. Up and down the country there are increasing numbers of high profile examples of this leading to restrictions on neighbouring businesses, in particular live music venues.

"Often this isn’t the fault of the residents who may not be familiar with the local area. Developers are required to assess existing noise levels and to carry out any works required to mitigate.

"A noise assessment has been submitted for this application based on a short period of time in spring and does not accurately reflect how we operate throughout the year. As a result, the works proposed are insufficient to mitigate the noise impact."

In a post on their Facebook page, Massive Wagons said: "This poses a potential threat to many long standing, established businesses in the area.

"It's a story that's becoming all too common...let's show solidarity and stamp this out before it becomes a problem, here and everywhere."

Hundreds of fans have since been voicing their concerns.

Seb Sweet said: "The idea of creating residential properties in close proximity to an existing live music venue is preposterous. It's unfair on every level and to all involved.

"The pub industry and grassroots music scene is already on its knees and we've all seen the legendary venues closed down due to someone knowingly buying a flat above a venue and then complain and destroy a community."

Another fan, Simon Gladwin, said: "Absolutely mad that people can object to noise in an area that was there before they moved, would be such an easy thing to fix in the legislation as well."

And Matthew Nightingale wrote: "Building flats in a town centre is a suicide to the local economy and nightlife and is extremely detrimental to businesses in the immediate vicinity.

"These plans are not only reckless to people's jobs in these local businesses if they get shut down but also detrimental to people's plans of spending money, coming to the area and pumping money into the local economy, an area which I have travelled to purposely from Reading for its variety of amazing local businesses, notably The Pub."

As well as Massive Wagons, Lancaster duo The Lovely Eggs also urged fans to object to the plans, saying: "Support live music, a great pub and great people."

The planning application states: "The current owner purchased the building at the end of 2022.

"The whole building was historically Martin & Co, estate agents with office at ground floor, and office, toilet and kitchen facilities, and break area to the upper floors. Since 2002 the two upstairs floors were converted into a three bed flat.

"Prior to the 2022 change of ownership, the three-bedroom flat has been unoccupied for some time.

"The proposal entails a change of use from single flat to two self-contained flats, one on each floor served by the existing staircase.

"A noise assessment carried out on The Pub and another nearby venue, The Jailor's Barrel, found that "appropriate internal noise levels can be achieved by fitting the windows of habitable rooms with acoustic glazing" and "so that windows can remain largely closed, a powered ventilation system should be provided."