'Fundamentally unacceptable' plans to turn a disused Newcastle town centre bar into flats have been blocked.

A planning application was submitted to create five apartments and a commercial unit at Blakey's Cafe Bar, in Newcastle, which closed five years ago.

But planners at Newcastle Borough Council have refused to grant the scheme planning permission, saying that 'significant amendments' will be needed to make it acceptable. According to the planning officers' report, the development would result in an adverse impact on future residents, due to the lack of outdoor amenity space, and a lack of light and ventilation resulting from the placement of windows.

Environmental health officers also say that insufficient information was submitted to show that residents would not be impacted by noise and air quality issues.

Blakey's Cafe Bar closed five years ago (Google).

The officers' report states: "The proposed development is fundamentally unacceptable and significant amendments are considered necessary to make the application acceptable. The development therefore represents an unsustainable form of development that conflicts with the aims and objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework."

Blakey's, on Paradise Street, was the first wine bar in Staffordshire and operated for 42 years before owner Martin Blakeman closed its doors for the final time in 2019. In April police discovered a cannabis factory operating within the vacant building, recovering 127 cannabis plants.

The plans would have seen the building divided into two two-bedroom flats, two one-bedroom flats and a three-bedroom flat, along with a ground floor commercial unit at the rear.

The 10 existing off-street parking spaces at Blakey's would have been retained for both the flats and the business. External changes at the building, which lies within Newcastle's conservation area, would have been limited to the installation of a new entrance door, windows and rooflights.

In addition to the objection from the environmental health officer, concerns were also raised by the council's conservation working party. The working party felt that the proposal would result in an 'overdevelopment' at the site, with members expressing concerns over the car parking at the front and the impact on the Black Friar.

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