Residents have criticised plans for quayside offices in Southampton to be turned into a new vape lounge and cocktail bar.
An application has been submitted to Southampton City Council to create a venue – with a potential future offering of tapas-style food.
Documents by Bar Syndicate Ltd say the venue promises to be a ‘sophisticated and welcoming environment for customers to enjoy expertly crafted cocktails alongside a premium vaping experience’.
The business is set to open between 8am and 11pm, with extended hours until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The interior will have around 13 tables for seating, with a VIP booth area as well as two bars, a dancefloor and a DJ Booth.
A management plan states that the owners would make ‘internal acoustic treatments’ and keep music within ‘appropriate decibel levels’ to ensure noise disruption is kept to a minimum.
The plans have caused a stir with some residents, who were not impressed about the new vaping hotspot.
One member of the public, lodged an objection to the plan. They wrote : ‘Why a vaping lounge? An application for a smoking lounge wouldn’t be accepted, so why a vaping lounge? It’ll encourage youngsters to take up the vile and possibly dangerous habit.’
Others took to social media to criticise the plans for the new venue.
The Azera building in Centenary Quay in Southampton could become home to a new vape lounge and cocktail bar
The venue will serve as a vape lounge as well as a cocktail bar, with tapas potentially being served in the future
One wrote: ‘I can’t imagine anything more awful and somewhere I would definitely avoid. Who wants to sit in a fog drinking cocktails.’
‘A vape lounge! How unappealing,’ another commented.
One user replied: ‘This is a horrible idea.’
Documents for the vape lounge say the addition of tapas-style food will ‘further enhance the offering, creating a unique social destination within the area’.
However, some locals pointed out the venue would be strikingly similar to Quayside Bar, located next door.
One wrote: ‘So a bar and tapas restaurant next to a bar and tapas restaurant.’
Another said: ‘There’s a bar and tapas place there already? Why would that even be considered??’
Documents for the venue say it will create a ‘premium vaping experience’ for customers (Stock image)
Residents have criticised the plans, saying it could encourage young people to take up vaping
Southampton City Council’s Licensing team also criticised the plans, citing noise concerns and worries about smoking Shisha.
They wrote: ‘This appears to be in the same block as Quayside Bar who have faced problems managing noise and smells from that venue.
‘I note on the plan they have a DJ booth, dance floor and VIP booths. They also seek outside seating and are seeking use as a Shisha bar.
‘The Health Regulations require the Shisha smoking to take place outside. There is no double door entry/exit meaning there will be noise escape as people go outside or enter the venue. We already get complaints of noise from another bar that noise travels up through the fabric of the building.
‘Smoking Shisha emits an aroma which is likely to travel upwards impacting on residents living above.
‘The area outside is not owned by the venue. My understanding is it is SCC land but has been leased to a management company who oversee the maintenance etc of the land. The land is for the common use of the public.
‘In my view this application is going to bring unreasonable disturbance and disruption to the residents living above the venue.’
Southampton City Council has been contacted for comment.
MailOnline was unable to contact The Bar Syndicate Ltd for comment.
