NEIGHBOURS in West Kirby described the “horror” they said was caused by a downstairs restaurant that has now closed down during a council meeting. New would-be owners House of Luna Limited, who want to take over the empty property and turn it into a Mediterranean restaurant, are waiting for Wirral Council to decide whether to grant it a licence.

The company, set up in April 2024 by 28-year-old former Waitrose delivery driver Jacob Russell, has applied for a premises licence for 86 Banks Road in West Kirby which was previously operated by a business named 625. House of Luna is hoping to be selling alcohol until 10.30pm and open until 11pm Sunday to Saturday.

House of Luna was set up recently in April 2024 and Mr Russell and other representatives told the local authority it would be selling wine and beer alongside cold mezze platters of meat, cheese, bread, and other foods. Despite some contention over whether it would be considered a bar, Mr Russell insisted his plans were for a new restaurant.

Wirral Council will issue its decision in several days over whether to grant a licence for the new business following a licensing committee meeting on September 6. The licence was opposed by two neighbours on Banks Road as well as a landlord but Environmental Health felt steps to improve noise insulation would likely resolve any outstanding issues from the previous tenants.  

Mr Russell plans to spend around £30,000 on the building he said would fill “a hole in the market in West Kirby” and has previous experience managing the Botanist in Chester, and working at hotels, restaurants, and bars. His lawyer David Crank said it would be “a positive addition to West Kirby.”

Mr Russell said there would be coffee and cake served between 10am and midday with the option for drink and food boards after that with “ideas to bring different cultures from around Europe into this.” 

He said: “I would like people to be able to enjoy a beer or a glass of wine with their food,” adding the restaurant’s target audience were families and couples with an atmosphere of “quiet background music where people can have chats and still be able to hear each other.” 

In 2023, Liverpool Magistrates’ Court found previous tenants 625 Ltd failed to comply with an initial abatement notice served by Environmental Health officers requiring them to address issues being caused by a large extraction flue attached to the rear of the property and was later fined £9,840.

This was off the back of complaints by a family who lived above the flat who asked the council to investigate. The mother from that family thought Mr Russell came across as “good natured” but asked the council to reject the application based on previous issues claiming “it is more of a bar than a food focused restaurant.”

She said her current living situation was “problematic”, with a number of bars now in the area, arguing they could hear quiz nights and chatter from others nearby. With more places open later, she said: “I had to make a complaint because it got too much. It brings undesirables to the area.”

She said she was worried about the same situation happening again below where she lives, adding: “Good intentions are always set out but we have fallen foul of that.” She said the application “is at best cavalier and at worst two faced.”

Landlord Linda Arnold claimed during the meeting that she had been booed, intimidated, and had spent thousands of pounds contesting issues with the previous tenants below her property. She said: “I do not want to go backwards. I am happy to go forward. I just want reassurance,” adding: “I had to live through this horror.”

However, Environmental Health officer Norman Joughin who had helped prosecute 625 said he was “quite pleased with the response with quotes and plans.” Insulation promised by House of Luna would reportedly lower sound levels by 45 decibels, something Mr Joughin said was “quite significant.”

In response to the criticism, Mr Crank said there had been no objections from any responsible authority except Environmental Health who they would work with if any issues came up and no evidence the licence would cause problems in the area. He urges those opposed to think more positively, adding: “It’s not right to refuse an application on what is feared might happen.”

Discussing their plans to prevent noise leaking from the restaurant,. Mr Russell’s father Andrew said “We can only do so much as we possibly can but we believe we have gone above and beyond.” Councillors will now decide whether to grant the licence as asked for, add conditions, or refuse it altogether.