Manchester institution Night & Day Cafe has launched a petition to ‘keep the venue open’ after a ‘new resident’ in the area repeatedly filed noise complaints.
The Northern Quarter gig venue, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary this weekend, was issued a Noise Abatement Notice (NAN) by Manchester City Council last week.
Night & Day says that a new resident in the area has reported them to the council ‘a number of times’ for excessive noise, but insists that the venue is operating exactly as it has for decades.
In a petition launched today – which has, at the time of writing and just hours after it launched, attracted a whopping 16,500 signatures – Night & Day criticised the number of residential properties that have been built around existing businesses with ‘no real thought or consideration’.
The petition says: “We are devastated by this action served upon us. Help us to keep the venue open!!”
Inside Night & Day Cafe. Credit: Facebook (Night & Day Cafe / Adam Robertshaw)
Manchester City Council has said that it hasn’t, in fact, threatened Night & Day with closure and that a NAN can’t be used to close a venue, but that it ‘has a duty’ to investigate claims of noise nuisance.
A council spokesperson said that officers found that noise levels at the Oldham Street business were ‘causing a nuisance’ and that it tried to reach a solution with the venue before issuing a NAN.
Night & Day’s petition says: “Since lockdown and as restrictions have been lifted, we have gradually returned back to what we do – being a small independent live music venue. Over the past few months we’ve been really encouraged by having live music events on six nights a week – back to what it was pre-covid.
“During lockdown a new resident moved to Manchester and to a property that’s within close proximity to the venue.
“As the restrictions lifted and life retuned to the surrounding Northern Quarter area, we were able to put on our first live music event. The resident visited us next day and has since reported us to MCC a number of times.
“We have met the resident a number of times to explain what we do and that nothing has changed operationally to how we operated pre-lock down and the 28 years prior to that.
“We ask for Manchester City Council Licensing to remove our Noise Abatement Notice and for the Council to address the real issue here which is that housing with ill-considered planning and construction has been approved and built next to a pre-existing live music business.
“Night & Day is located at 26 Oldham Street. Over the past 15 years, flats have been built or existing buildings converted to flats around us with no real thought or consideration to the pre-existing business, building and what it does.
“We also ask not to be labelled us as a ‘nuisance’. We believe we are a real cultural asset to the city of Manchester, the North West and indirectly to the UK as a whole.
Night & Day Cafe is now surrounded by apartments. Credit: Google Maps
“We believe we are a key part of Manchester and are very proud of what we do and have achieved. During lockdown, we were fortunate to receive Arts Council funding for being recognised as a place of cultural significance and also an Expanded Additional Restrictions Grant for Cultural and Entertainment value from Manchester City Council.
“Night & Day will be exactly 30 years old this Saturday and has busily been preparing for a week of celebration with a number of special 30th Birthday events to mark this milestone.
“Despite us having been served a Noise Abatement Notice several years ago, fighting our position and surviving, despite the venue being shut for the past year and a half due to the pandemic, re-opening again and only just recently getting back to what we do, we’ve now been presented with this new second notice. We are devastated by this action served upon us.
A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: “To be clear the Council has not threatened Night and Day with closure. A Noise Abatement Notice (NAN) has been issued following complaints of excessive noise. A NAN cannot be used to close a venue, it is used to prevent continued noise nuisance.
“Following a number of repeated complaints from residents living nearby the Council investigated allegations of excessive noise coming from Night and Day. During these visits the Council’s officers found that noise levels were causing a nuisance.
“The Council has a duty to investigate complaints of noise nuisance and where a statutory nuisance is found to have occurred, the Council is under a duty to serve an Abatement Notice on the person responsible. The Council has on multiple occasions tried to engage with this venue to try and reach a solution which works both for them, and residents. In spite of this further issues were reported, which meant the Council was left with no option other than to issue a NAN.
“The venue is entitled to appeal this Notice, and we would encourage them to work with the Council to avoid any future enforcement action.”
Featured image: Facebook – Night & Day Cafe
News
Bury FC offering free tickets to Morecambe fans amid ongoing club crisis
Danny Jones
Bury FC are offering free tickets to travelling Morecambe fans free tickets to an upcoming match in a show of solidarity for the fellow North West football club amid their ongoing crisis.
For anyone unaware of the situation in the Lancashire town, Morecambe FC could soon be no more after being suspended from the National League as they face further financial uncertainty.
At present, controversial owners Bond Group Investments LTD, led by businessman Jason Whittingham, have failed to sell the struggling club despite multiple deadlines, leaving the vital community sporting organisation on the precipice of complete collapse.
While the seaside team currently have no fixtures to look forward to with the 25/26 season now underway for various parts of the football pyramid, the Greater Manchester outfit, which only recently survived similarly their own precarious circumstances, has offered Morecambe fans free admission.
Although this is a very temporary alternative, with complimentary tickets being offered for Bury’s Northern Premier League West season home opener against Newcastle Town, it is a touching show of support from regional counterparts who know all too well the fear and pain of potential dissolution.
Sharing a post on their official website and social media along with the message, “We’ve been where you are. We stand with you.”, The Shakers have stated that anyone who turns up at Gigg Lane for the game this Saturday, 9 August, with their season ticket or wearing a Morecambe badge can enter for free.
It was only back in 2019 that Bury themselves were expelled from the football league after 125 years as a result of their unpaid debts. It’s fair to say that the state of affairs at Morecambe looks strikingly familiar.
Plenty of clubs have been placed into administration and hit with suspensions over the years, and Bury did go on to reunite their AFC phoenix club back in May 2023, but unfortunately, nothing is ever certain given how money-driven modern football is.
To add more context, Whittingham has been registered as the director of 25 companies during his career, but it’s important to add that a staggering total of 18 have been dissolved (either forcibly or voluntarily), put into administration, liquidated, or put into receivership – the stage before full liquidation.
It remains to be seen how many travelling Shrimps supporters will make the nearly 50-mile journey to 0161 for the game, but Bury’s classy gesture has nevertheless been met with plenty of praise.
For now, it has been reported that Morecambe have anywhere between the end of the week and 20 August – when the National League meets to discuss the matter again – to balance books and/or discover their fate.
The beautiful game belongs to everyone; people of all regions and walks of life, from the grassroots all the way up to the Premier League, and as a footy-obsessed part of the world, we all know all too well how important it is to have these sporting and crucially social outlets in local areas.
Sending all our support to all those at Morecambe FC, and we hope to see these dire straits resolved with the right outcome sooner rather than later.
Bury offering free tickets to Morecambe fans is touching, but when are clubs going to get better protection from questionable ownership?
Rochdale AFC have retired late club legend Joe Thompson’s shirt number
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester club Rochdale AFC have officially retired the number 15 shirt in memory of late midfielder Joe Thompson.
The retired player turned pundit and charity champion, who had to battle three different bouts of cancer, died earlier this year following his final diagnosis of stage four lymphoma.
Sadly passing away at the age of just 36 on 18 April 2025, the Bath-born footballer – who built his life and career here in the North West – was recently honoured with a minute’s silence and charity match between Rochdale and his boyhood club Man United’s under-21s youth side.
Penning an official statement on their website, The Dale wrote: “With the blessing of Joe’s family, we can confirm that First Team squad number 15, the shirt Joe wore with pride during his time at the Club, will be retired in his memory.
“Joe made over 200 appearances across three stints for Dale and became synonymous with the number 15 in his time with us.”
Thompson tragically left behind two kids, Thailula-Lily and Athena Rae, along with his wife, Chantelle, who also helped raise thousands in vital funds for cancer research and treatment here in the UK during his multiple battles.
Rochdale go on to add: “The retirement of Joe’s former squad number is recognition of his impact, not just as a talented football player, but as an incredible person who had a positive impact on everyone who has been touched by his story.
“This is just the second time in our history that a shirt number has been retired, after the number 55 was retired in memory of young Dale fan Joshua McCormack in 2016, who also sadly lost his life to cancer.”
The ex-Man United youth, Rochdale servant and one-time Bury player sadly had to retire due to his recurring illness back in 2019.
His story, however sad, was an inspiring one.
Safe to say that both his final send-off as a professional and tribute match last week were equally emotional days, with the latter ending in a 1-1 draw and an inaugural trophy lifted in his name, with the Red Devils having recently named a new club award after him too.
The United academy graduate has raised more than £20,000 for charity by joining a walk with hundreds of fans, friends and ex-teammates from Old Trafford to Rochdale back in October last year and remained an influential fundraising figure until the very end.
His number may have been retired, but the memory and impact of Joe Thompson live on forever. You can still donate to his cause and pay your respects via the Joey T Foundation HERE.
Rest in peace, Joe.
💙 The Legacy of Joe Thompson Lives On 🙌
Last week we were proud to support the Team Thompson appeal and now the journey continues.💙
Plans are now in motion to create the Joey T Foundation, honouring Joe’s bravery and continuing his legacy by helping others facing cancer. 💪 pic.twitter.com/VZO7Kgq3PP
— Rochdale AFC Community Trust (@RAFCCommunity) August 5, 2025
Daisy Jackson -
24th November 2021 
