Halloween events at a York LGBT venue featuring Ru Paul’s Drag Race and Big Brother stars have sparked noise objections.
Little J has applied to host the events on Friday, October 30 and the following evening from 7pm until 4am and 5am respectively at its North Street venue.
The venue’s application stated the evenings would feature performances from Ru Paul’s Drag Race’s Charra Tea and Big Brother 2025’s Sam Ashby, along with music, comedy, dancing and spoken word acts.
But City of York Council and North Yorkshire Police stated details on how the venue would stop noise disturbing nearby flats and hotels and prevent underage alcohol sales were lacking.
It comes as Little J’s application is set to go before councillors for a hearing tomorrow (Tuesday).
The application also follows a licensing hearing last year over a bid to extend the opening hours of its Chapel House venue.
Little J hosts events catering to the LGBT community and is thought to be the only venue of its kind in North Yorkshire.
The council decided to allow the venue to open until 2am from Sunday to Wednesday and until 4am from Thursday to Saturday in November.
Its decision came despite objections from the authority’s public protection team and the police due to the venue’s location in an area already home to several late-night bars and clubs.
Members of the local LGBT community rallied in support of the venue, saying they needed somewhere safe to socialise at night amid fears of homophobic abuse.
But the venue said a request to notify the police of events planned there before they take place was unacceptable, adding it planned to close.
The venue’s application for its Halloween events stated a resolution needed to be reached over the council’s issues with noise.
It stated: “Little J will have to abandon any further events here and make alternative arrangements if the council continues to refuse to communicate.”
Council public protection officials stated the venue had not yet met a condition attached to November’s licensing decision requiring them to show how they would prevent noise disturbing neighbours.
Officials said: “As the applicant wishes to use the premises for regulated entertainment well into the early hours of the morning and the premises is a very old building with unknown sound reduction performance, close to nearby residential flats and hotels, in the cumulative impact area of York, conditions were attached to the premises licence to control noise and prevent a public nuisance.
“The applicant has not offered to implement any of the conditions from the premises licence that would control noise nor offered any measures, so as to prevent a public nuisance from occurring during this event.
“They have also not offered any verification of age to prevent underage sales from occurring, we are therefore unable to support the application for this event and would advise that it is refused.”
The police stated they would not support the sale of alcohol until 4am in an area where there are concerns about alcohol-fuelled crime and antisocial behaviour.