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Club supporters with former Big Brother contestant Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace (third from left) with Andrew Charalambous (front) |
Eco-nightclub urged: Turn it down
Millionaire’s dance venue boasts it’s the greenest, but noise pollution angers neighbours
A KING'S Cross nightclub launched by a Tory property millionaire as the “most ecological dance venue on the planet” has fallen foul of neighbours who have found the noise far from environmentally friendly.
Andrew Charalambous, who supported Boris Johnson’s London mayoral campaign, has won a weekend extension to his late-night licence for Surya nightclub, in Pentonville Road.
Mr Johnson, Tory leader David Cameron, supermodel Kate Moss and singer Amy Winehouse are expected to be among guests at the star-studded official opening of the club on Thursday.
Mr Charalambous, who calls himself Dr Earth, brought along 30 supporters of the club to an Islington licensing committee meeting on Monday which heard the licence extension bid. Former Big Brother contestant Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace was among fans of the club present.
The club was bidding to extend its licence for drinking and dancing from midnight to 2am on weeknights and until 4am Fridays and Saturdays.
But objectors, including two Labour councillors, James Murray and Mouna Hamitouche, said that, despite the club’s green credentials, residents complained that it gave them sleepless nights.
Denise Miller, chairwoman of Weston Rise Estate Management Association, pointed out that Surya had already been investigated by a noise patrol after playing loud music with its doors open.
She added: “Their customers disturb the sleep of residents by congregating outside, smoking and drunkenly shouting. There’s more noise when customers leave, with cars and taxis beeping.”
Cllr Murray said the existing weekday licence until midnight created “late-night noise and disorder” in the street outside.
He added: “I am concerned that extending the licence would make the problems even worse.”
One of the club’s supporters, Carlo Rusche, who lives in a flat above the club, said he had no complaints.
He added: “You cannot hear noise from the bar from my flat and neither has the incidence of noise from cars and people significantly increased since the venue opened.” Police said they had no problems with the club.
Barrister Gerald Gouriet, representing the club, said the venue had introduced a noise limiter, employed security guards to keep noise down outside and was keen to work with residents to ensure there were no further problems.
The committee refused to lengthen the weeknight hours beyond midnight but allowed a 3am extension for Fridays and Saturdays and 11pm on Sundays.
Mr Charalambous said he was disappointed with the midnight licence as it meant many charity events may have to be cancelled.
Powered by dancefloor energy
AN environmentally friendly nightclub may seem like a contradiction in terms, but not according to former Tory parliamentary candidate Andrew Charalambous.
His Surya club in King’s Cross plans to install a sophisticated dancefloor that generates its own electricity when people move on it.
Mr Charalambous hopes to put a wind turbine on the roof, to allow the club to become self-sufficient in energy.
Customers who can prove they arrive by foot or by bike gain free admission and the bar sells organic fruit juice as well as beers and wine. There are plans to install a recycled water system to flush the club lavatories.
Before customers are allowed in, Mr Charalambous asks them to sign a pledge promising to work towards curbing climate change.
An active fundraiser for charity, he is head of Club4Climate, a new climate change organisation, and hopes to use clubbing to inspire young people to tackle global warming. “This is a new way to draw in the young generation,” he said. “It’s a sexy and fresh approach as opposed to the way young people feel they are preached to by other more ‘grown-up’ charities.” |
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