Councillors have backed a scheme to downsize a York nightclub, with some of it becoming holiday flats, making it more viable.

Planning Committee B unanimously approved the scheme for Club Salvation in Tanner Row, despite concerns over possible conflicts between families staying in the flats and noisy nightclubbers.

With a related plan for flats above shops next door, there would be 17 holiday flats in total, said a report prepared for the meeting, which took place earlier this week.

Council planners, who had recommended approval for the scheme, had detailed reports from the club about how it had tried to attract enough custom for the 800-capacity club.

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The development would reduce this to 500 with the club in future just covering the ground floor.

But this would make it more economic, with 5-6 jobs created running the holiday flats that would be created above.

Councillors have spoken out against schemes in the city that seek to remove music venues and cultural facilities.

They said this new scheme was an improvement on earlier plans approved in 2019 that was approved to convert the nightclub’s ground floor into a restaurant, with holiday flats above.

At the planning committee meeting, Cllr Stephen Fenton said it was good that this latest scheme retained some nightclub space.

“Live music venues are important. It would be sad if this one was lost. It’s good to see it partially retained. Hopefully, this scaled-down club will be viable as part of a mixed development," he told the meeting.

Cllr Rachel Melly said the holiday flats plan “enhances the feasibility of an existing cultural space.”

She was concerned over the loss of several residential flats as part of the scheme, but this was outweighed by the other benefits of the scheme.

However, Cllr Christian Vassie feared conflict between family visitors staying in the holiday flats and the noise from the nightclubbers. Families might have to push their way through revellers, he warned.

But other members told him the club didn’t open until late and any young children would be in bed by then.

Cllr Anna Baxter added: “There clearly is demand for this type of holiday let. Better they go in the city centre than in the suburbs.”

Committee chairman Ben Burton agreed it was positive to see this kind of venue surviving like this, before it was lost to an entirely different use.

“I am comfortable with the noise conditions to protect residents,” he said.

He agreed it was better to have purpose-built holiday accommodation than to have such developments spreading out and taking up houses in the community.