Rage It Out, a venue on Queen Street in Consett where people can smash items with crowbars, sledgehammers and baseball bats, has applied for retrospective planning permission after internal modifications were made to the property.
The business offers supervised rage room sessions and axe-throwing experiences. A retrospective planning submission was lodged following the internal alterations, which the applicant said involved fitting non-structural partition walls to create distinct activity zones and customer amenities.
No major structural changes
The application confirms that no major structural alterations were undertaken and the building's exterior has remained "substantially unchanged." The establishment also serves freshly prepared food, including burgers, hot dogs and loaded fries, along with cold beverages.
A statement noted: "All activities are managed and monitored by trained members of staff to ensure the safe operation of the business and the welfare of customers." It further stated that the development was "appropriate to the site" and had not caused a "material adverse impact" on the premises or the neighbouring vicinity.
Previous licensing dispute
The planning application comes after a separate licensing dispute concerning alcohol at the venue. Rage It Out secured permission to serve alcohol in April despite objections from Durham Police. Patrons may consume alcohol at the Queen Street location before and after their activities, but alcoholic drinks are forbidden within the axe-throwing and rage room operational spaces.
Police had cautioned that allowing patrons to drink before or after participating might lead to "reckless or unsafe behaviour." However, the council's licensing committee heard that several safety precautions had been put in place following talks between the business and police ahead of the hearing.
Durham County Council will examine the planning application in due course.
