Club that inspired Gorillaz hit to become flats

Gorillaz are Damon Albarn (right), Jamie Hewlett (left) and animated bandmates Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, Noodle and 2-D

A former nightclub that inspired a Gorillaz hit is to be converted into five apartments.

Damon Albarn once said Andromeda, in St Helen's Lane, Colchester, was a special place for listening to soul music during his youth.

The venue opened in the 1960s and provided a dance floor for up to 195 people, but it closed after a brief period operating as "Ice" in 2021.

Approving the planning application, Colchester City Council said work must begin within three years.

Blueprints showed the apartments, located in the city's Dutch Quarter, would all be one-bedroom.

The two-storey building was purchased at auction in April.

The building was originally planned to reopen as an entertainment venue

"The proposal removes a commercial night club that can reasonably be considered to have reached a discordant position with the majority residential location that no [sic] surrounds it," plans read.

The Gorillaz song Andromeda was released in March 2017 as part of the virtual band's fifth studio album, Humanz.

It was later nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 2018 Grammy Awards.