With a capacity of over 1000 the club will be one of the largest in the city and it could be ready to open by the end of 2003. Although permission has been granted after a four-day hearing the Judge did not appear to be entirely enthusiastic about the decision. The fact that the police withdrew their objection at the start of the hearing and that Po Na Na has an excellent operating record meant that the grounds for refusal were greatly reduced.

However the victory came at a price. Apart from conditions imposing a CCTV link to the police station and an agreement to use only shatterproof glasses the club will also have establish a residents hotline to handle complaints about noise and employ stewards to supervise the area outside the club.

If these measures are successful they may well form a blueprint for other clubs also operating in the area. For details of the conditions imposed on the Po Na Na application click on download below (MS Word document 21 KB)