Flats plan for ex-nightclub are dropped after outcry

Plans to turn a former Wigan borough nightclub into a house of multiple occupation have been withdrawn following objections from residents.
The former nightclub building on Chapel StreetThe former nightclub building on Chapel Street
The former nightclub building on Chapel Street

Plans to turn a former Wigan borough nightclub into a house of multiple occupation have been withdrawn following objections from residents.

A proposal had been submitted to Wigan Council to convert Independent House in Chapel Street, Tyldesley, into an eight-bedrrom “HMO.”

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The building was once home to a club called Bar Eden, but is currently derelict. Residents said approving an HMO in their neighbourhood would be unnecessary and “cause more problems than it would prevent”.

There was also a lack of support from council officers who raised concerns about the visual impact the building would have on the surrounding conservation area. A consultation report from the conservation department said: “There is no objection in principle to the conversion from nightclub/bar to residential, however there is an objection to the changing of windows from traditional forms and colours to grey upvc and as such the proposal as submitted cannot be supported.”

It added: “The changes proposed are likely to cause harm to the character and appearance of the conservation area and negatively affect the setting of the listed buildings.”

And the developers appeared to have taken heed of their concerns, withdrawing their plan before a planning committee could consider it.

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On the council’s online planning portal, one local said: “Parking is bad enough as it is and the type of people this will attract isn’t great opposite and nursery and where young children walk to and from school.”

Another wrote: “A house of multiple occupancy will attract certain types of clients that I feel should not be living opposite a nursery and with so many young high school children walking though the town going home. For this reason I feel it is inappropriate to permit the change of use.”

And another said: “I feel that this is not something that is needed in the local area and would cause more problems than it would prevent. The local parking is terrible for residents as it is without adding more accommodation.

“Also, the usual residents that these types of places attract would not be ideal given that there will be a new nursery opening directly opposite.

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“I live directly around the corner and to date have not received any information regards the application.

“Me and my neighbours received all relevant information for any planning but nothing for this one.”

In 2007, an application to turn the property into a block of five flats was rejected by the council.