Leyland's first Irish bar Rum Jacks closes 6 months after opening with Shawn Sharpe mural to be painted over
Leyland’s first Irish pub has closed six months after opening it doors following a wrangle with the Council.
Rum Jacks opened at the former Fat Sam’s in Towngate last September, but landlord Phil Kirby failed to secure permission to convert the restaurant into a bar.
The unauthorised bar continued trading without permission before suddenly closing in March, as Mr Kirby sought to formally change the use of the property from a restaurant to a pub/bar.
Six letters of objection were submitted to South Ribble Borough Council but a retrospective application was granted (with conditions to reduce noise) by planning officers at the end of April. However, Rum Jacks had already closed for good.
Mr Kirby told the Post that he has no plans to reopen Rum Jacks. He said the decision to close had also been due to clashes with the Council over noise complaints from the bar’s residential neighbours in Towngate and Malden Street.
The bar was hit with a noise abatement notice after opening as late as 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, in spite of the planning permission in place for the restaurant requiring that it shut by 10pm.
You can read more about the planning decision and noise complaints in our report here.
What next for Rum Jacks?
The bar is now vacant but a new operator is reportedly keen on taking on the Towngate venue. Mr Kirby confirmed he was no longer involved with Rum Jacks and said he believed someone else was “taking over”.
South Ribble Borough Council’s planning committee voted unanimously to approve the conversion – paving the way for any future operator to run the premises as a bar. However, the Council ordered that the permission be granted only for an initial 12 months before being reassessed.
Viewings have been taking place in recent weeks and it’s believed the nightspot will reopen - but not as an Irish bar.
An Irish-themed mural by Preston street artist Shawn Sharpe, painted on the side of the pub’s wall facing Malden Street, is expected to be painted over in the coming weeks.