Barbican Road karaoke bar bid is resubmitted

The original proposals for refurbishing the upper floors of the Barbican Road building which once housed Cantonese restaurant the Royal Dragon were withdrawn in January after concerns were raised about noise.

They have now been resubmitted to City of York Council, with the scheme involving the creation of 11 karaoke rooms and three dining rooms for parties on the upper floors of the building – formerly a Victorian hotel and the Spotted Cow pub – in areas previously used for bed-and-breakfast accommodation. A decision is expected to be made next month.

The ground floor has become a new restaurant called The Regency, with JWPC Limited, the agents for applicant Z L Chen, saying the karaoke facilities would only be available for use by diners and the scheme would create ten new jobs.

In a planning statement sent to council planners, JWPC said the building was not listed but had “historical merit” and was at risk if an “economically viable” new use for it was not found.

Since the original application was withdrawn, the firm said more noise studies had been carried out to address issues raised by the council’s environmental protection unit.

JWPC’s statement said soundproofing would be included in the karaoke scheme and customers would not be able to enter the premises after midnight, with door staff being on duty and notices asking people to “respect the needs of local residents and leave quietly”.

“No harm will be caused to existing residential amenities as a result of music or singing,” it said.

“The proposal should be assessed positively against the intention to promote town and city centres for the location of new leisure developments.”

When the Regency’s licence application was discussed, some local residents objected to the owners wanting permission to stay open until 3.30am every day.

If the karaoke plans are approved, the building will have space for 100 people, with no more than 50 on the upper floors at a time.