Ouseburn bars concerned over homes development plans

The river view development in Ouseburn features a mix of apartments and town houses

Two Newcastle pubs have said that plans for dozens of new apartments could have a damaging impact on their businesses.

The six-storey development is earmarked for derelict land in St Lawrence Road, Ouseburn, behind the Free Trade Inn.

But the bar's owners fear residents' complaints about noise could hit their business or even force it to shut and expressed concerns about parking.

Nearby Tyne Bar's owners said it was another plan which "threatened to tear the beating heart out of Ouseburn".

The proposals from developer A&A Properties feature a mix of one to three-bedroom apartments and three town houses.

'Maximise potential'

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said, in an objection lodged with the city council, the Free Trade Inn's management said it was "extremely concerned" noise complaints "could result in significant changes that significantly harm the existing operations and could even result in closure".

They said: "The Free Trade Inn is a bustling public house with customers coming and going throughout our licence times, and our beer gardens are regularly full with customers enjoying the city views until late in the evening.

"The proposal to build dwellings, considered as a noise sensitive development, places our business at risk as inevitably future residents will make complaints about noise levels."

The pub, which has also been a prominent critic of the plans for an 18-storey tower of flats at the mouth of the Ouseburn said the latest one could also worsen an "already desperate parking situation" on the street.

However, city planners said that "considerable redesign work" had been done to deal with the noise concerns - including removing balconies closest to the Free Trade Inn and reducing the number of bedrooms that overlook the pub.

The developers have argued the flats would "enhance and maximise the potential of the currently vacant site" and serve not only as a "landscaped public amenity area but as an attractive and cohesive transition between the two buildings".

The plan, which has been recommended for approval by Newcastle City Council's planning committee, will go before councillors later this month.