Acapulco nightclub gets go-ahead for Bank Holiday rooftop DJ event despite objections

It’s ‘go’ for the Acapulco…a famous Halifax nightclub can hold a rooftop special DJ event planned for Sunday night into the early hours of August bank Holiday Monday morning.
The Acapulco nightclub in HalifaxThe Acapulco nightclub in Halifax
The Acapulco nightclub in Halifax

Calderdale Council Environmental Health officers had objected to Justin Brett’s application for a temporary event notice to hold a rooftop DJ session from 9pm and 1.30am on August 25 into August 26 at the Acapulco nightclub in Waterhouse Street, following complaints about noise from residents at Albion Court, which is close to the town centre.

But members of the council’s Licensing Sub-committee approved the notice on grounds that although officers had received complaints about noise and some testing had been done from a resident’s flat they had not quantified the result and it would therefore be disproportionate to turn down the application.

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They hoped Sunday’s event could act as a test on what work could be done about concerns and that officers and residents meet with Mr Brett and his team – who say they were not aware there were issues until a week or so ago – to see how problems might be tackled going forward.

Tony Lyons, representing the Acapulco, said it must be one of the oldest clubs in the country, approaching 60 years of history and this session was one of six TENs applied for over the last two years, the last in late in May.

Since the smoking band was introduced in 2006 the rooftop has been regularly used as a smoking area but only for music on the special event occasions for music. There was no application to sell alcohol up there.

Light pollution issues had also been raised but only low lights were used on the roof, he said, with Mr Brett adding there was also some light projection.

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Mr Lyons said there were other nightclub premises which opened later and one opposite the club had a speaker bouncing out sound.

He said the club felt: “We have been called to account for noise coming out of premises an hour after our premises have been closed.”

Mr Brett said music played on the roof at the special events was not dance music.“It’s more nice music, more the old fashioned disco type stuff,” he said.

Environment Health Officer Joy Holland said residents had concerns about using the rooftop ordinarily as even with just voices sound travelled.

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But on this occasion, she said: “All we object to is that you put the speakers and DJ out there with the people which adds music to the sound of people talking, laughing and joking.”

It was a question of balancing the club’s right to do business with residents’ quality of life, she said, accepting the club was in a town centre which had a night culture.

There were also concerns with an early morning “bottle drop” which created more noise, she said, but that did not relate specifically to the special event notice application.

Councillors asked a range of questions of both the club and the environmental health officers before reaching their conclusion.

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