City bar approved despite oversaturation fears

News imageLDRS Silver Street which is a pedestrianised road on a hill, busy with people walking up and down in. It is lined with shops on both sides, the one in the foreground has a black front and is called @Moon, but the second o is a crescent moon. It has bunting in the window. There is also a red Vodaphone sign and Body Shop sign on the left side of the street.LDRS
The Irish bar is planned for Durham's Silver Street

A new Irish bar is to open in a city centre despite concerns it has too many pubs.

The Rattlin' Bog was granted planning permission by Durham County Council to open in Silver Street.

But parish councillors objected to the proposal, saying there was insufficient information to assess how the business would operate and warned another drinking venue would further reduce the street's retail offering.

The applicant said neighbouring buildings, including an adjacent Grade II listed property, would not be affected.

The City of Durham Parish Council requested further details on proposed opening hours, noise impact, whether live or recorded music would be played, as well as a management plan and details of internal layout.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, in its objection, it said: "Due to the absence of this information, it is not possible to assess how the premises will function."

The parish council also warned the development would "contribute to the continued erosion of the retail function of Silver Street".

Granting planning permission, the county council said the proposal was acceptable in principle, but it was subject to planning conditions to ensure noise would not become an issue.

Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.