Shh, no fun please! The Sydney pubs that will be forced to close their rooftop bars after neighbours complain about the noise
- A string of Sydney hotels are being forced to close outdoor bars due to noise
- The historic hotels received complaints from nearby new apartment buildings
- The restrictions follow lockout laws many blame for ruining the city's nightlife
Well-known Sydney pubs that have all been serving drinks for the better part of a century will be forced to close their rooftop bars and outdoor drinking areas after noise complaints from neighbours.
The handful of pubs received orders from local government to cease trading in their outdoor areas after new apartment buildings opened up next door.
The restrictions follow the controversial lockout laws, which were introduced in the city just over four years ago.
Many have blamed the strict laws for crippling Sydney's once thriving nightlife.
Well-known Sydney pubs that have all been serving drinks for the better part of a century will be forced to close their rooftop bars and outdoor drinking areas after noise complaints from neighbours (pictured; The Royal Oak Hotel in Double Bay)
A group of pubs have received orders from local government to cease trading at their outdoor hospitality areas after new apartment buildings have opened up next door (pictured; Kings Cross Hotel)
Hospitality giant Solotel, which owns the Kings Cross Hotel, has hired lawyers and town planners to fight a trading ban for its rooftop terrace bar, according to The Sunday Telegraph.
The four week ban, which was scheduled to start two weeks ago, was issued by the Sydney City Council after residents who moved into new apartments, such as those in the Omnia building next door, complained about the noise.
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'Our rights over the use of our wonderful old hotel cease to exist as soon as an apartment building opens next door,' Solotel CEO Justine Baker said.
Steph Hibbert, a patron at the rooftop bar, agreed, telling The Sunday Telegraph, 'If you move into an apartment so close to a pub, surely you would expect noise.'
The restrictions follow controversial lockout laws introduced in the city four years ago (pictured; The Marlborough Hotel)
The Moore Park View Hotel will undergo renovations to enclose its outdoor areas
The company is also fighting a neighbour of its hotel in Newtown, the Marlborough, who wants the courtyard closed due to noise.
The Royal Oak Hotel in Double Bay has also come under fire. Woollahra Council has ordered the establishment stop patrons from drinking at tables outside unless they're eating a meal.
Business owners in the suburb have expressed concern that if the same rule is applied to other venues the 'cosmopolitan' atmosphere of the village will be lost.
The inner-southern suburbs are also being targeted, with the Moore Park View Hotel in Waterloo being forced to undergo renovations after neighbours complained about people talking loudly and singing on their outdoor deck.
Business owners in Double Bay (pictured) have expressed concern that if the same rule is applied to other venues the 'cosmopolitan' atmosphere of the village will be lost
'Everybody deserves a good night's sleep but if you buy next to a pub, train line or Luna Park, you know there'll be noise that you'll have to live with,' Moore Park View Hotel owner John Doble said.
The noise complaints are the latest blow to the city's nightlife.
Under the lockout laws, venues across the CBD, Kings Cross, and Darlinghurst are banned from letting in patrons past 1.30am and must stop serving alcohol at 3am.
In the four years since the laws were implemented, 176 licensed venues across the city have shut down.
Famous venues such as World Bar, Soho, and Hugo's Lounge that made Sydney an internationally renowned party destination, are just some of the establishments to close their doors.
There are, however, a handful of venues still carrying the torch for revellers looking to get out of the house to celebrate the weekend - if you look hard enough.
The Winery in Surry Hills, the Unicorn Hotel on Oxford Street, and Chinese Laundry in the city to name a few.
Hospitality giant Solotel, which owns the Kings Cross Hotel, has hired lawyers and town planners to fight a trading ban for its rooftop terrace bar (pictured)
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