A Liverpool music venue is campaigning against plans for a new residential property next door to them.
Meraki, on Dickson Street, received a proposed planning application to turn the warehouse next to the venue into flats.
The music and arts venue is calling for people to oppose the plans.
Meraki said: “Any residential property located next to a music venue is extremely likely to garner noise complaints.
“Once this process starts it means the venue has to adapt its operation, most likely to a point where we cannot operate with music and late opening hours, meaning the culture we’ve all come to love and cherish is likely to be no more.”
The venue says the only solution would be to install high standard soundproofing.
The proposed plan is to turn The Bonded Tea Warehouse into 216 apartments with a 17,700 sqft workspace, gym and cycle storage.
ELG Planning, who have created the plan, said: “The building is Grade II listed, occupying a prominent location in the Liverpool North Docks area.
“The building is presented in a poor state of repair and requires major investment to secure its long-term use.”
Meraki are campaigning against the pre-application and are planning to launch a similar campaign when it gets to the official planning stage.
The Bonded Tea Warehouse lies in the Ten Streets area, which is a designated space by Liverpool City Council as the city’s new Creative Hub.
Meraki said: “Noise complaints are a substantial threat to any music venue, and are likely to end the viability Meraki has from operating and providing a source of culture and employment in Liverpool.”
In 2018, Parliament introduced the ‘Agent of Change’ policy which states that any new development planned for a site next to a noise-making premises would need to mitigate any potential risk to the existing premises, before receiving planning permission.
This policy has been adopted by Liverpool City Council.
Meraki said: “It’s not all doom and gloom and we’ve had some positive feedback from the Music Venues Trust and Liverpool Music Board but we’re just trying to get ahead of the game!”
