Proposals to use a Liverpool city centre car park as an outdoor events space have drawn criticism over noise concerns.
Pub Invest Group (PIG), which runs a number of popular venues in the city, has applied to the council to use a car park at the junction of Seel Street and Slater Street as an events space which would be open until 2am.
If the proposals are approved, alcohol would be able to be served and music would be able to be played up until that that time.
In its application, PIG said the use of the space for events would be “predominantly on weekends” and it would continue to be used as a car park at other times.
However, a member of the council’s own environmental health team has said he has “fundamental” concerns over the plan.
Ian Rushforth said that the proposals as they stood were likely to have an impact on neighbours, particularly in relation to noise.
He said: “I have fundamental concerns regarding the likely adverse noise impact on nearby residents from the proposed late-night activities in an outdoor setting (where mitigation of the noise emissions is unlikely to be achievable).”
Mr Rushforth said he believed there needed to be an 11pm cut off for any music being played in order to minimise any detrimental effects.
In addition to Mr Rushforth, a neighbour also raised concerns over noise and a potential increase in anti-social behaviour in the area, which already has a lot of venues open late into the night.
In her own public submission to the council, Katherine Harbord said: “This is already an area that has a high amount of anti-social behaviour, unfortunately, and adding a further venue to the mix will exacerbate this problem further.
“This is an area with a high density of bars and clubs, but also a considerable amount of residential properties, and a balance needs to be struck between these competing needs – it should not be the case that licenses are automatically granted, especially when there are so many comparable businesses in the neighbourhood, as this does not come without impact on residents.”
Similar to Mr Rushforth, Ms Harbord said that if the plans were granted then an earlier finish time for any music needed to be included.
Liverpool Council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee will meet later this month to consider the proposals.
