Plans approved for 1920s-themed bar to come to Newcastle's Diamond Strip

Plans for a new 'High-end' 1920s-themed bar have been approved after it was delayed three times.

Developers pushed for a licence to open the Boardwalk venue on Collingwood Street after Covid-19 severely hampered plans to turn the disused Metropolitan House into the multi-million pound Metropolitan Hotel.

As the previously approved hotel construction was pushed back to 2023, High Street Hospitality launched a bid meantime to open the ground floor bar and restaurant that formed part of the original £2.5 million plans.

Newcastle City Council has confirmed that it has now granted a licence allowing the Boardwalk to open despite concerns that the Diamond Strip is already at "saturation point" with bars and clubs.

The authority's licensing sub-committee said that there were "exceptional circumstances" that would allow the venue to open and that "the combination of licensable hours and conditions provided should ensure that the licensing objectives are promoted and there will be no negative impact upon them".

Council licensing boss Jonathan Bryce pointed out that there will be no food served at the Boardwalk at 9pm and that Collingwood Street has a "very high concentration of licensed premises".

The Metropolitan Hotel development had sparked opposition from some neighbours at the Stamp Exchange building back in 2019, fearing that it would exacerbate problems with rats, litter, and noise in an extremely busy part of the city centre.

This time around, another of the building's residents also warned the city council that another bar is "the last thing this area needs".