Reboot for legendary Queen’s Head site on life support amid permit drama

Exciting new plans for an iconic Geelong venue have been put on life support after failing to satisfy the council’s ‘excessive’ permits regime.

The venue’s planning permit was knocked back because its acoustic report used “NSW terms”. Picture: Brad Fleet

A Geelong nightclub owner with ambitious new plans for the former Queen’s Head Hotel site has resorted to crowd funding after council knocked back her application for a planning permit.

Previously known as The Wild West Saloon, The Peoples Pub, Room 99, and Club Titanium – the Ryrie Street watering hole was leased by hospitality veteran Angie O’Day last year.

The Venue also sits above Khan Curry Hut, a beloved Indian Restaurant voted by readers of this paper as “Geelong’s Best”.

Angie O'Day has lost thousands after having to delay the opening of her lounge bar due to Council's rejection of her planning permit. Picture: Brad Fleet

Ms O’Day said she had spent thousands of dollars on renovations to transform the bar into Here and Now Lounge, but said the venture was “in limbo” as a seemingly endless back and forth with the Council over permits continued to delay its opening.

Speaking to the Geelong Advertiser, Ms O’Day said she was “planning to open in the March long weekend but I didn’t realise how long this process was going to take”.

“They had a few issues with the acoustics report one of which was that it was in “NSW terms,” she added.

That report cost Ms O’Day more than $4000 to commission, with a revised version still under consideration by council with no guarantee of when the outcome will be known.

“We are in an activity centre and this is a 100-year-old pub that hosted nightclubs in the past so I wasn’t expecting it to take this long given this is what the venue has always been used for,” Ms O’Day said.

“I just want to get open and I feel like at the moment I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.”.

Asked how much its cost her, Ms O’Day said “I don’t even care to think, it’s been thousands”.

As overhead costs persist, she says she’s been forced to turn to the community for help, with locals and fans of the venue so far donating more than four $4000 to her GoFundMe.

“I can’t thank them enough from the bottom of my heart. They are absolute angels and I can't wait to hopefully share this venue with them all.” she said.

A spokesman for City of Greater Geelong said: “Several residential properties are close to this location, so we must ensure that appropriate steps have been taken to mitigate noise.”

“The applicant submitted an original acoustic report. However, this report did not address the relevant statutory requirements,” he added.

Originally published as Reboot for legendary Queen’s Head site on life support amid permit drama