Neighbours object to restaurant's live music plans

Plans to allow live music at a York restaurant until the early hours have sparked objections from neighbours.

Hima Fuji restaurant, on Lawrence Street, has applied for a licence to stage music up until 02:00 every day and for an hour longer on bank holidays.

Owner Ze He said the application followed a change of layout at the Asian restaurant and karaoke bar.

However, three people living nearby objected to the plans, claiming they would be exposed to loud music until the early hours and problems could be caused with parking and anti-social behaviour.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the application will go before a council licensing hearing on 28 May.

The restaurant already has permission to serve alcohol until 01:30.

A resident on nearby Farrar Street said people living there who wanted to avoid city centre bars and pubs would be disturbed.

The objector, whose road is on the opposite side of Lawrence Street to Hima Fuji, said: "The request to have live music until late every day is completely insensitive to the neighbouring residents, noise will be a big issue for residents.

"The licence change would negatively impact residents as the bar and property does not seem to have much parking.

"The streets local to us currently suffer heavily from broken glass that seems to be there for weeks or longer, I and any other dog owners have to be careful around this so the animals are not injured by standing on glass."

Another objector, from the same street, said they feared there would be noise from live music, acts and patrons leaving the venue and staff clearing up afterwards.

The objector said: "We believe that a music venue, very close to our street, will adversely affect our quality of life."

A council report on the plans stated all of the restaurant's karaoke booths at the back of the premises were professionally soundproofed.

Notices asking patrons to leave quietly are also posted at the venue's exits.

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