Whitley Bay Stack licence approved at Spanish City site

Stack Whitley Bay will create about 140 jobs, if planning permission is approved

A food and drink leisure complex in Whitley Bay has been granted an alcohol licence, despite concerns.

Plans had been submitted earlier this year to build the Stack leisure venue at the former Empress ballroom in the Spanish City.

However, residents and businesses raised concerns over the potential for "anti-social behaviour".

Those representing Stack said there was "no evidence that it will cause crime and disorder".

Stack, which already has a complex in Seaburn in Sunderland, plans to turn the ballroom into street food outlets and a live entertainment stage.

Planning permission is yet to be approved, but the approval of its alcohol licence plays a key role in the development, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A North Tyneside Council licensing sub-committee heard how the site is expected to create about 140 jobs and have capacity for 1,400 customers.

The new venue would make use of the existing ballroom

Councillor John O'Shea said it would bring "significant benefits" to the town and refusal to grant the licence would "jeopardise the viability of the whole development".

However, Spanish City NE Ltd, which operates neighbouring restaurants including Trenchers and 1910, lodged its own objections.

It told the council that the sale of alcohol would "inevitably" subject customers to noise and raise crime.

"Spanish City, which is grade II listed, was built in 1910 and the Empress Ballroom in 1920," it said.

"Neither were constructed with [the] applicant's intended type of use in mind and, as a consequence, there is insufficient attenuation designed into the buildings."

Charles Holland, who represents Stack, said concerns over noise were a "private dispute" between other businesses.

At the meeting, councillors agreed to grant the licence, allowing it to serve alcohol from 10:00 until midnight during the week and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Neill Winch, chief executive officer of Danieli Group which owns Stack, said it "would bring an underutilised building" back into use.

He added that it would "continue to build Stack's strong presence" in the North East.