Cambridge University Catholic Association (CUCA) has raised concerns about a local nightclub’s plans to build a roof terrace close to their student chaplaincy.

Soul Tree, a popular club among students, are awaiting permission to carry out a scheme to tear down part of the club’s third floor and construct an outdoor area surrounded by a glazed screen.

The scheme has been met with opposition from CUCA due to the fact that their student chaplaincy, Fisher House, is located directly opposite the club. According to Dr Claire Daunton, Treasurer of CUCA, if the terrace goes ahead as planned, it will offer a direct view into the chaplaincy’s bedrooms.

CUCA contends that the terrace would not only affect residents’ privacy, but could also lead to an increase in noise pollution which, according to Dr Daunton, already affects Fisher Square and Guildhall Street.

In a recent letter sent to the planning chiefs, Dr Daunton described the area as “extremely noisy and quite threatening part of the town”.

Mark Sommerfeld, a student at Sidney Sussex and Vice-Chair of the Fisher House Committee, told Varsity that, like most students, members of Fisher House enjoy Soul Tree. However, an increase in noise pollution would be cause for alarm for the society.

According to Sommerfeld, “it is already a serious disturbance at its current levels, restricting the use of the library, chapel and bedrooms in the house in the evenings.”

He added that it was  “amazing” that the club is not able to control their noise levels to the same standard as most other clubs.

Although the club’s owners have paid for the double-glazing for some of Fisher House’s windows, CUCA revealed that some of them have remained single-glazed. Dr Daunton added that, on account of this, all windows had to be closed, whatever the weather, in order to reduce noise to bearable levels.

The plan to build the terrace is being supported by Catherine Linford, Cambridge Council’s planning officer, who believes that it may help to reduce noise disturbances, anti-social behaviour, and security issues caused by party-goers constantly leaving the building to smoke.

In a recent report on the issue, Linford concluded that “the proposal is likely to result in an improvement to the disturbance experienced by residents.”

Nevertheless, Linford has recommended that the terrace be stewarded from 9 pm to 9 am in order to control the club’s noisy patrons. She has also stated that the terrace screen “must not be transparent”, to prevent club-goers from looking into Fisher House.

Despite these recommendations, Sommerfeld fears that “the situation will get worse with the proposed expansion”, and might also increase the likelihood of smoke wafting from the terrace into Fisher House.

Members of Cambridge City Council’s West/Central committee will make up their own minds this Thursday when they decide whether or not to let the scheme go ahead.