By Andrew Starke
Two Sydney pubs known for their live music are threatened with closure just weeks after the iconic Hopetoun Hotel closed its doors.
The Annandale Hotel on Parramatta Road is fighting an ongoing battle with the Leichhardt Municipal Council on noise restrictions and late trading, while the owner of The Harp Irish pub in Tempe has dismissed his management team.
The Hopetoun Hotel closed after an accumulation of fines from police and onerous council directives to upgrade the venue but is expected to reopen next year.
It has been a similar story for brothers Matthew and Damian Rule, owners of the Annandale Hotel, who told the Sydney Morning Herald that a recently submitted development application for an improved hotel plan and refurbished restaurant represented ‘our last throw of the dice’.
An ongoing battle with the council in the Land and Environment Court has cost the Rules close to $200,000, while the council is believed to have spent more than $100,000.
The brothers say they can no longer borrow money to defend themselves.
John Rossi, owner of The Harp Irish Pub, said the venue would be closed pending the appointment of new management team.
The pub offers traditional Irish, folk and country music.
To comment, click here.