SPARK:York will stay in the city for another two years - as long as cladding is installed.

And the council says it will put “more muscular” measures in place to act on noise complaints - after some residents said music from the site was “intolerable”.

But one neighbour - who said she lives closest to the venue - praised Spark’s directors for being approachable and said neither she nor her five-year-old son had lost sleep over noise from the site.

Hairdresser Jody Toner told councillors Spark had “enabled his aspirations to become reality” after he launched his own salon at the site - and has now moved into a permanent premises in Gillygate.

Neighbour Franz Wallmann told the meeting: “I enjoy living here, but was looking forward to when [the lease] ended because of noise issues.

“There’s no soundproofing and no windows and doors that can be shut. It’s basically an open air venue put in the middle of a residential area.”

Another neighbour compared the site to “a raucous watering hole”.

But Louise Warnes, who said her home overlooks Spark, told the meeting she speaks to directors Sam Leach and Tom McKenzie regularly and they have “always been happy to help”.

She said: “Spark is never loud enough that we can’t sleep, it never keeps us awake.

“I think if you choose to live in the city centre you have to accept a certain amount of noise.

“If we ever have an issue it’s acted on immediately.

“They have only ever been happy to help and I hope it gets its lease extension.”

And Mr Toner said the “flexibility and affordability” of Spark enabled him to start his own business - and that they offered a one-year lease where units in the city centre were on a three or five-year lease.

He said: “The space was vibrant. The location was absolutely perfect. It’s all thanks to Spark that I have been able to make it a success.”

Tracey Carter, the council’s assistant director for regeneration, said the new lease would be “more muscular” - and if the council investigated a noise complaint from residents which breached the guidelines, the lease could be terminated.

Cllr Nigel Ayre said senior councillors had spent a long time discussing the idea of extending the lease.

He said: “I was initially very supportive of the vision. It’s an area of the city we have really struggled with. It hasn’t gone 100 per cent how we wanted it to. Has it been positive for the city? In my view, yes. I fully take on board from residents that what has happened so far has not been acceptable.

“I hope this is the last time we have a negative conversation about Spark, there’s a huge amount of positivity that has come from this. We as executive will not tolerate breaches as it goes forward.”

Cllr Ayre asked that the lease also require Spark to better communicate with residentsand for council officers to look at reducing the hours when alcohol can be served on site.