A company hiring out a historic Salford church has been granted a licence to serve alcohol and play music until the early hours, despite backlash.
A premises licence has been granted to Chapel Street Community Centre Limited for the use of a Grade II listed former church on Chapel Street by the Salford City Council.
During a meeting yesterday (November 24), councillors weighed the applicant’s plans against neighbouring residents’ objections.
The application sought to revitalise the derelict listed building, described during the meeting as “extremely dilapidated, with no heating, damp and leaky roofs.”
The applicant, businessman Jerry Huppert, stated the aim was to “preserve and enhance a heritage site” and make the Class F building commercially viable by creating a public and exhibition hall for the local community.
Mr Huppert has operated licensed venues before, including Deli & Dine, which he sold back in 2019. Joanna Onisiforou, representing the applicant, outlined Huppert’s previous experience and emphasised that the venue would not operate as a public bar or a nightclub, but as a private-hire event space.
She said: “The premises are not going to be a bar that is open to the public. The cost of renting for events will restrict use to a more sophisticated clientele.”
Whilst there was little concern voiced over restoring the building, objections from neighbouring residents were made about the prospect of late‑night closures.
David Britch, a neighbour to the building said: “It’s the late-night licensed venue that’s going to disturb us.”
David’s wife, Isabel Britch, stressed that they had lived in the area for 22 years.
She recalled: “We were alone when we first moved.”
They argued that the area was residential, despite the applicant’s description of Chapel Street as a mix of commercial and residential properties, with nearby businesses including restaurants, a vape shop, and late-night takeaways.
Mr Huppert and his representative highlighted measures to try and mitigate the shared concerns. These included acoustic glazing, acoustic plasterboards, CCTV, guest lists, QR code entry, and the use of SIA door supervisors.
He told the committee: “We didn’t negotiate or fight back – every suggestion that they’ve suggested, we’ve accepted it entirely.”
Mr Huppert emphasised that these measures were not to alarm the residents, but to be in place for their own safety and benefit.
He described the challenge of managing late-night events as “controlling the beast,” while David Britch, in a final statement before the verdict, said: “I don’t want the beast next to my house.”
The licence was granted, but the panel raised concerns over some of the conditions, which are “to be amended or merged” as necessary.
Police and Environmental Health raised no objections, and all recommendations were accepted by the applicant.
Key measures included giving seven days’ notice to local authority before events, limiting capacity to 300 people excluding staff, introducing a dispersal policy to manage departures, and providing a dedicated phoneline for residents during events. Doormen and CCTV will also be in place for safety.
The panel concluded that the application was “carefully considered” and that the applicant had demonstrated experience in operating licensed venues.
The licence was granted with those conditions, balancing the applicant’s aim to bring a listed building back into use, with residents’ concerns about noise and disruption.
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