The verdict on the Night & Day noise complaint is in - and in truth it's something of a Pyrrhic victory.
On the one hand, and most fundamentally, the venue in Manchester's Northern Quarter has been permitted to continue operating. But on the other, the complaint was not dismissed out of hand, and the burden of responsibility for compromise/change has been placed firmly on the shoulders of the Night & Day - despite the fact that the prime cause of the problem (a defective party wall) was the fault of the developers, and Manchester City Council for regulatory/enforcement failures.
However, arguably more significant, as the Music Venue Trust has noted, are the wider long-term ramifications of the ruling: "The judge has decided, and placed on record, that the Northern Quarter is not a cultural area, it is a mixed-use area. Consequently, this judgment places every music venue, nightclub, restaurant and bar in this area on notice that they will, upon receipt of a noise complaint by any resident, be required to change the nature of their business to accommodate such a complaint. This applies equally to existing, new and prospective residents. As a result of this judgment, it is now open season on Manchester's night-time economy for developers."
The future for the Northern Quarter - at least as a "cultural hub" - looks bleak. Here's hoping this hasn't set a precedent for similar cases elsewhere in the country.
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