Saki Bar wins appeal over noise problems

A famous music bar has won an appeal against its licence revocation after taking steps to deal with noise problems.

An acoustic lobby, limiting external noise emissions, was added to Saki Bar in Rusholme, Greater Manchester. The venue also agreed to stop drum and bass nights.

New conditions limiting the number of people outside to 25, and ensuring noise cut-off devices are fitted to exits, were also imposed.

Saki Bar's licence was revoked in February after a resident complained of loud music and people congregating outside.

The environmental health department applied for the licence review, supported by the police, claiming public nuisance.

But a district judge overturned the revocation at magistrates, saying there were fewer incidents that related to the venue than police had stated in evidence.

The court also heard that since the beginning of the year, environmental health found no evidence of public nuisance in 18 visits.

Representing Saki Bar licensee Mehmet Durmaz, Anthony Horne of Licensing Legal had argued that the noise emitted did not constitute a "public nuisance" because there was just one complainant.

Horne also said environmental health officers considered the noise to be a statutory, not public, nuisance — because they had issued an abatement notice.