More than 160 short-stay apartments will be built above a Newcastle department store, despite the objections of neighbouring bars.

Councillors have approved plans for a major overhaul of Newcastle’s TJ Hughes, which sits in the heart of the city centre on Grainger Street.

Its upper floors will be converted and a two-storey roof extension built to form 166 aparthotel flats, with the basement and ground floor of the grade II* listed building being retained as the shop.

Plans for short-stay apartments to be built above TJ Hughes in Grainger Street, Newcastle. This shows an aerial view of Grainger Town | TS R1 Limited/Baltic PDC/LDRS

placeholder image — Plans for short-stay apartments to be built above TJ Hughes in Grainger Street, Newcastle. This shows an aerial view of Grainger Town | TS R1 Limited/Baltic PDC/LDRS

Newcastle City Council’s planning committee gave its backing to the scheme on Friday morning, after dismissing concerns from the owner of three Bigg Market bars.

A representative of Filthy’s, Passing Clouds, and The Points told councillors that those live music venues are open to 3am multiple nights per week and expressed fears that the businesses could have “unreasonable” restrictions imposed on them if future aparthotel guests make noise complaints.

Andrew Moss, objecting on behalf of Azalea Management Limited, said that the short-stay flats being built so close to bars in one of Newcastle’s busiest nightlife spots posed a “clear and foreseeable risk” and asked the committee to withhold its approval until further proof was given that the development would not damage the bars.

However, it was pointed out that the council had approved a similar short-stay apartment complex for the prominent Cathedral Square offices on the Bigg Market last year.

Plans for short-stay apartments to be built above TJ Hughes in Grainger Street, Newcastle. This shows the building from the Bigg Market | TS R1 Limited/Baltic PDC/LDRS

Applicant TS R1 Limited’s representatives told the committee that TJ Hughes had opened its Grainger Street store in 2002 and was “committed to the future of the building”, but must diversify in order to keep its operation viable.

Labour councillor Paula Maines said she was confident that noise mitigation measures agreed by Civic Centre officials would be sufficient to avoid future complaints – and that future occupants of the aparthotel would not be expecting the most peaceful stay.

She said: “I have to say that if you are booking a hotel in the city centre, next to the Bigg Market, it is going to be very different from an apartment in the country – you are aware it is going to be noisy.”

Plans for short-stay apartments to be built above TJ Hughes in Grainger Street, Newcastle. This shows a two-storey extension above the building | TS R1 Limited/Baltic PDC/LDRS

Liberal Democrat Doreen Huddart said that the destination would “probably not be my choice” for a weekend away and was “surprised” to see such a proposal coming forward, but did not object.

Labour’s George Pattison added: “It is a difficult balance. We have the reputation of being a vibrant city and a noisy city. But the mitigation is there and the officers have done everything they could have. I’m not objecting.”

Originally, the developers had intended to build more than 250 studio and one-bedroom apartments at the site, which was built around 1837 as part of the Grainger Town redevelopment.

But, following concerns from heritage bodies that the scheme risked becoming a “looming presence” over the Bigg Market, it was scaled back in size.