A short-lived truce between a restaurant and one of Dundee’s best-known music venues escalated to a “Mexican stand-off”.
Non-Zero’s on Castle Street was hauled before the city’s licensing board earlier this year in a spat with the Castle Grille restaurant, situated downstairs, over noise.
The argument looked to have been resolved after the Castle Grill was sold and became the Jack & Jones, a Tex-Mex and international restaurant.
The rapprochement was cemented in August with a handshake outside the venues between Jack & Jones manager Michael Easton and Non-Zero’s owner Dave Neill.
Yet the peace quickly vanished as Jack & Jones owner Deepak Singh claimed the loud noise emanating from the venue was having a detrimental effect on his business.
Speaking at a meeting of the council licensing board, Mr Singh said: “I’m losing business here. Every Friday and Saturday night at least two or three tables walk away because of the noise.
“There is so much noise you can’t hear this Monday past we had to call the police it was so bad. I was promised in September that (Mr Neill) would do something about this,” he added.
Non-Zero’s had hoped to install sound proofing at the venue following a meeting in September, but this was too expensive, owner Dave Neill said.
“Some (of what Mr Singh) is saying is news to me. As far as I knew, we were getting on well.
“We have been cordial with each other and quite a lot of business goes there from bands that we have had playing.
“It is true that I do not have the funds for sound proofing. It is estimated that the work would cost between £6,000 and £12,000, and because of the extent of the work both businesses would have to be shut for an inordinate amount of time.
“This is my livelihood and trying to find this money has been my worst nightmare. But I have taken measures to combat the noise.”
These “isolation techniques” include moving speakers 2ft off the ground to avoid music travelling through the floor, introduction of smaller speakers and reduced maximum output.
The board deferred action on the issue pending an evening visit by board members to inspect the situation for themselves.