Derelict music venue could be bulldozed for flats

Used as a platform for aspiring music artists, the venue has remained derelict since it closed in 2019

A 200-year-old derelict pub and music venue could soon be bulldozed to make way for 15 flats.

The scheme to demolish Blueberry Music House in Cowgate, Norwich, was originally approved in 2021, however, the permission has since expired after the developer failed to provide units of affordable housing.

The building dates from 1836 when it was St Pauls Tavern, and it became a music venue in 1996 until it closed in 2019.

Norwich City Council meets on Thursday to consider the new application with council officers recommending approval, on condition developers agree to a number of legal requirements including conducting a review of whether affordable housing was a viable option at a later date.

The developer has blamed rising construction costs and charges for water pollution mitigation (known as nutrient neutrality) as reasons for the delays in acting on the original planning approval, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Officers recommend that the developer should also make payments for nutrient neutrality credits, which fund nature improvements to offset any harm from house building.

The venue is near Anglia Square in the city, where initial demolition work has begun to transform that site into 1,100 homes.

Councillors will meet for a planning applications committee meeting on Thursday to make a decision on the scheme.