New bar for former 70-year-old club

A new bar is set to launch where a once landmark 70-year-old social club used to be.
The former Knights of St Columba ClubThe former Knights of St Columba Club
The former Knights of St Columba Club

The Indigo bar on Fleetwood Street in Leyland will open at the former Knights of St Columba Club next month. It is currently recruiting around half a dozen part-time staff.

Its owner and licensee Danny Hindle has met one objector and says he can understand their concerns.

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Residents met on Friday to discuss the impact the late night opening hours, serving alcohol so late and the live and recorded music will have on them.

They also fear house prices on the 16 terraced house street will drop with having a bar open until 2.30am.

Residents - the majority own their own properties - will send their objections to South Ribble Council’s licensing committee prior to the deadline tomorrow.

Mr Hindle says the club will not open as late as residents fear and that he will write to all the householders with his proposals in an effort to put their minds at ease.

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He said; “We were never going to stay open to 2am anyway. The previous club had a licence until 1am.”

Leyland born and bred, Mr Hindle, who is a plumber by trade, was previously licensee at the Railway Inn, Leyland, for nine years.

He said Indigo’s opening hours were likely to be: 4pm to 11.30pm Monday to Thursday; 2pm to 1am Friday; noon to 1am Saturday and noon to 11pm Sunday.

“I’ve got a ten year lease. I’ve lived in Leyland all my life. It needs to be sustainable for ten years,” he said. Mr Hindle added that barriers would guide people leaving the club away from Fleetwood Street to Chapel Brow.

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“I’m here at leaving time on the door, I’ve got door staff on the door,” he said.

Objector Peter Flynn, of Fleetwood Street, said he felt more reassured after meeting Mr Hindle.

He said residents would still lodge their objections with the council however. The licensing committee is due to meet next month.

“I spent fifteen minutes talking to him and he said he will take steps to reduce our concerns,” said Mr Flynn. “To be honest we’ve got the right guy to do it.”

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He added: “There will be an issue from the residents because it’s so closely located. They put up with it when the KSC was there.”

The once-thriving Knights of St Columba Club - known locally as KSC - shut at the end of August after almost 70 years due to tumbling finances.