Chorley cocktail bar Cosmopolitan could be forced to close early after noise complaints from neighbours

Cosmopolitan has been ‘battling’ with Chorley Council over noise complaints raised by residents living near the bar in St George’s Street in the town centre.

When the bar opened in 2011, there were no residential properties on St George’s Street, which was mostly home to offices and small businesses.

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But in the past 12 months, some of these offices have been converted into bedsits and this has led to complaints about noise from Cosmopolitan, situated close to St George’s Church at the end of the road.

When the planning application was submitted to turn the offices next door into a six-room HMO (House in Multiple Occupation), the landlord of the Cosmopolitan building raised his concerns with Chorley Council about the suitability of residences in such close proximity to the nightspot.

Mohammed Ghafoor - the owner of the Cosmopolitan building - warned Chorley’s planning committee that “noise transfer from the courtyard [of The Cosmopolitan] and from customers entering and exiting the bar late” would most definitely have an impact on tenants living in the new bedsits next door.

But councillors gave the green light to the HMO, with committee members agreeing that residents ‘know what they're letting themselves in for’ living next to a bar.

Coun Alistair Morwood said while he was “not entirely convinced” that acoustic protection in the form of a “stud wall” would protect against noise issues, “residents who are going to [move into the HMO] will know exactly what they’re going to go into”.

“It’s a good use of the property. Yes, it’s going to be noisy ..so it’s up to the residents to decide whether it’s too noisy for them or not,” Cllr Morwood said.

Fellow committee member Craige Southern added the fact that The Cosmopolitan was well established should also work in its favour in the event of any noise complaints, because “the restaurant and bar was there long before [any new residents]”.

However, noise complaints were made to the Council after tenants moved into the new bedsits and an application has since been submitted to significantly reduce Cosmopolitan’s opening times.

The bar and restaurant, which has been trading for more than a decade, is licensed to operate and play music within its first floor bar until 2am.

But a new application review seeks to reduce the venue’s trading hours to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

“We don’t need to tell you how much this would affect the business and customers,” said Cosmopolitan's management in a post on Facebook, as the venue launched a petition to gather support from customers.

Posting on Facebook, the bar said: “As some of you may be aware we have been battling with Chorley Council Licensing over the last couple of years due to increased residential properties in the area who have been complaining about the noise we produce.

“We have been on St George’s Street since 2011 when there were 0 residential properties surrounding the area.

“During this time we have made countless changes to adhere to the council’s requirements, from purchasing a brand new music system to changing our trading hours.

“Now, they have put an application review in to reduce our trading hours to 11pm, Friday & Saturday. We don’t need to tell you how much this would affect the business and customers.

“Please take 5 minutes to sign the petition below to support us, we want to keep our usual trading times and keep serving the people of Chorley. Let’s not lose another local business, Chorley night life is suffering!”

Our future is at serious risk - save the Cosmopolitan!

The petition - “Save the Cosmopolitan – Keep Our Local Bar Open Late!” has so far received the backing of more than 2,000 people. You can view the petition on GoFundMe here.

The council are reviewing the licence and wants to reduce the opening hours to 11pm on a Friday and Saturday evening.

It states: “We need your help to save a beloved local venue.

“The Cosmopolitan Bar & Restaurant in Chorley has been proudly serving the community since 2011 — providing a vibrant, welcoming space for socialising, live music, private events, and more. We’ve built a loyal following and created jobs, fun, and lasting memories for so many of you.

“But now, our future is at serious risk.

“Chorley Council’s Environmental Health Department is reviewing our premises licence and proposing to reduce our opening hours to 11pm. This is despite the fact that we were here before the nearby residential properties were developed.

“If this change goes ahead, it would make our business financially unviable. Most of our trade happens after 11pm, and losing that would almost certainly mean closing our doors permanently.

“We’ve always operated responsibly, listened to our neighbours, and worked hard to minimise any disruption. We simply want to continue doing what we’ve done for years — serving our community in the safe, enjoyable atmosphere you know and love.

“Please sign this petition to show your support for keeping The Cosmopolitan open late.

“Every signature helps demonstrate to the council that:

“The community wants this venue to stay openWe are a valued part of Chorley's nightlife and culturePeople deserve a safe, local place to socialise late into the evening

“We appreciate your time, your custom, and your voice. Let's fight to protect one of Chorley's last true late-night venues.”