City Centre Residents Anger at Terrace Decision

6.44.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 30th May 2009

David Nikel and Cllr Ayoub Khan at Islington Gates

Campaigning residents in the city centre have been left furious following a decision by the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol to overturn the decision of Birmingham City Council and grant planning permission for an outside bar terrace.

Some residents of Islington Gates on Fleet Street have balconies and bedrooms directly above the proposed terrace at Bluu Bar on Summer Row.

Birmingham City Council planners threw out the plans after residents claimed the outdoor terrace would cause an unreasonable disturbance. But following an appeal by Marston's Inns to the Planning Inspectorate, the decision was overturned.

Local Liberal Democrat campaigner David Nikel said "There is something fundamentally wrong with the system when a bureaucrat in Bristol has the power to overturn a local issue nearly 90 miles away.

"The proposed terrace is directly below numerous apartment balconies and has the potential to be extremely disruptive. The Inspector did impose some conditions, but who will be around to enforce them?

"This Labour Government's obsession with over-centralisation of decision-making must end now. Power must return to local people on issues such as this."

One concerned local resident emailed the Liberal Democrats to say, "We already suffer from noise from people outside the bar smoking and making a noise, something which i have spoken to the council about. It seems that the small man in street has no say whatsoever."