A Liverpool city centre shisha bar has held on to its licence by agreeing to a number of new conditions after neighbours were kept awake by booming music playing late into the night this summer.
Vooo Lounge, on Mount Pleasant, was hauled before councillors this morning after nearby residents complained of serious noise nuisance in May and June this year.
They reported extremely loud music coming from a covered area near the bar as late as 2am.
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Council officers who visited on one night also found customers were able to turn up the volume of the music themselves via a phone strapped to a pillar.
The licence review this morning could have seen the council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee take any action up to and including stripping the bar of its licence.
However, bar owner Givara Salih and ward councillor Nick Small, who had requested the review, agreed a series of new conditions for the licence in principle to avoid the need for a more lengthy review and potential removal of the licence.
Mr Salih was present at this morning’s meeting apologised to his neighbours through his legal representative.
His representative said: “He apologises for the inconvenience he caused, he apologises to the residents and he fully accepts the measures proposed by councillor Small.
“It is unfortunate but necessary that the review was called but he is committed to running this premises responsibly in the future."
Mr Salih’s representative added that the noise issues were in part caused by a misunderstanding of the exact terms of the licence. He said Mr Salih, who took over the premises in 2019, was now fully aware of how he needed to operate the bar.
Councillors Small said he believed the proposed measures, which include a noise limiter and a dedicated phone number for residents to log issues with Mr Salih, were adequate to prevent further issues.
He said that the bar was a well run premises apart from the issues reported in May and June.
Councillor Small said: “I think these are acceptable conditions and I am happy to go ahead on that basis.
“I think residents will be happy with this, they want to see businesses in the night time economy flourish in this area. They just do not want to face the level of nuisance that they did.”
The licensing and gambling sub-committee agreed the new conditions for the licence in principle, with its legal team now set to finalise the terms.
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