Campaigners are calling for a much-loved bar and music venue on the North Coast to be saved from closure.
The Atlantic Bar and Lounge on Main Street in Portrush has been a stalwart of the underground music scene for the past 40 years, not just for the North West, but for bands and musicians right across Northern Ireland.
A number of years ago, developers first contacted Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council with plans to create a boutique hotel along Main Street. However, the planning application was refused on a number of occasions.
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The proposal of a 3-5 storey hotel on the site of the current Atlantic Lounge and Bar previously received 127 objections from the public and only 18 notifications of support.
Despite this, however, Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd issued Notices of Opinion to grant planning permission and consent for redevelopment of the Atlantic Bar and former Londonderry Hotel in Portrush, leaving the future of the popular music venue uncertain.
The proposal will now return to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council for consideration on November 23 at 10.30am.
Music fans who have grown up attending gigs at The Atlantic have launched a petition to save it from closure. Amy Merron, 25, is originally from Portstewart but now living in Coleraine, and was always travelling to Belfast and Derry for concerts as a teenager.
But she said gigs at The Atlantic were always special, with the venue being "the place to be" to see great local artists or for those wanting to try and get their name out there.
Speaking about her decision to launch the petition, Amy told Belfast Live: "It all really started for me a couple of years ago when I like 126 others in the area objected to the planning proposal of a hotel on the site of the Atlantic bar and lounge. We thought that was the end of it but now there’s even more uncertainty which is awful for the staff.
"A group of us met in the bar last week following John O’Dowd’s decision to grant planning approval for the development of a hotel. In the current cost of living crisis it’s more difficult for people to travel up to Derry or Belfast and the lack of late night public transport makes it more likely that people have to stay the night, so having a place so close to home where there’s something on every weekend even in the winter is just amazing.
"The bar for us isn’t just a place to relax and have a couple of drinks but it is both a cultural and community hub and we believe keeping a space like that in Portrush is so important for the local community and tourists alike.
"As someone who’s part of the LGBTQ+ community it was always difficult to find somewhere on the North Coast where I could just be myself but the Atlantic provided that space for me and many others.
"If the Atlantic was to go it would be a huge loss for the music scene in Northern Ireland."
On the proposed plans for a hotel to replace The Atlantic, Amy said it's not needed in the area, highlighted by the fact two nearby hotels have announced closures.
The mum-of-two said: "Portrush doesn’t need a big shiny hotel to improve the local economy. Like most of the North Coast and Triangle area, it needs affordable housing and employment opportunities that aren’t seasonal.
"A hotel just isn’t a sustainable venture when in the past couple of months the Premier Inn in Coleraine and The York in Portstewart have both announced closures. The people that live here and contribute to the economy year-round are just viewed as collateral when it comes to investment for tourists.
"We’ve seen this time and time again whether it’s planning approval to build luxury apartments when there’s people who can’t find a secure place to live or the lack of commitment to build an urban sports park."
Amy said the support for their petition to save the venue has been "absolutely incredible", with over 2,000 signatures and support from local artists and high-profile celebrities.
"The response has been absolutely incredible but I’m not surprised as it continues to be a much loved bar and the only music venue left on the North Coast. Everyone who has spoken to me has only had good things to say about the place and the staff," Amy continued.
"We’ve had signatures from local artists and some Derry Girls too (Bronagh Waugh and Siobhán McSweeney). I’ve seen some councillors comment in the past couple of days that these musicians should just find somewhere else to play which just shows the lack of support for culture and the arts in the area.
"During the pandemic we had a lot of elected representatives talk about how we should support our local businesses, it’s time for those representatives to put their money where their mouth is since this approval sets a dangerous precedent where local businesses can be forced out by investors."
The petition to save The Atlantic Bar and Lounge can be viewed here.
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