Thousands sign petition against homes near Telford music venue

The petition has been launched by staff at the Haygate in Wellington, known in Telford as being the home of rock music, with hundreds of bands playing there over the years.

Now, thousands are showing solidarity with the venue, on Haygate Road, after plans were submitted for houses at the rear of the building, which they say could prevent it from being a music venue in the future.

The petition, launched by Tina Saxon from the Haygate, said: “These houses will be very near the pub and its beer garden and new residents will be able to complain about the noise from the pub, which could impact on its very nature.

“The Haygate is a music venue and has been successfully trading for over 12 years with very little trouble regarding noise problems.

“However the factory units that were at the back of the pub were recently knocked down and, at that point, we started receiving noise complaints and have now had a noise abatement notice served on us.

“We know that when these houses are built the new residents will be entitled to complain about the noise from both the music in the pub and about the noise created by the customers in the beer garden, and that this could cause the council to revoke our music licence which could cause us to close.

“We would like the council to refuse to allow houses to be built on the land and to seriously consider the impact of these houses on a well established and successful late night music venue.”

The petition has a target if 5,000 signatures, and will, when completed, be sent to the planning department at Telford & Wrekin Council.

Though the petition was started around two years ago, plans were submitted on June 20 for the of an apartment block of 12 apartments and four dwellings.

The application, for the junction of Alexandra Road and Haygate Road will be directly behind the pub’s beer garden.

There have already been five comments of objection left on the plans by residents, who say there is not enough car parking and the future of the Haygate.

Martyn Haynes, of Crown Street, Wellington, said: “Building residential dwellings this close to a long established live music venue will ultimately result in the music venue closing because of noise complaints.

“It is my understanding that the pub already does its best to keep noise to a minimum but having properties is bound to cause disturbance and thus spell the end for this one off venue.

“There is no other venue like this in the whole of Telford.

“Please consider the impact to not only the livelihood of those who own and run this venue but to the the wider cultural impact.”

To see the petition, visit change.org and search “haygate”.