Distressed residents living above a ‘cultural arts venue’ are pleading for something to be done about late-night music making their lives hell.

The families, including some who have young children, claim they are frequently kept awake into the early hours by thumping bass, vibrating floors and whooping from people enjoying themselves below.

Ironically, some were thrilled when Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville first opened its doors in 2019. It billed itself as a creative co-working space, promoting social responsibility and community, with events such as poetry nights and academic talks.

But last year, when it was able to reopen once restrictions were lifted, bosses revealed they would be transforming it into a new live music venue at weekends, open until 2.30am.

Now, the residents, who live in a block of 12 flats sitting directly above it, say Friday and Saturday evenings are a nightmare.

One family moved out on February 4, so fed-up were they of the music keeping their two-year-old child awake.

Another, Georgina Powell and her partner, have temporarily left due to the noise - and are now paying rent on top of their mortgage.

Mum-of-two Rosie-Mae Deal says she has to cradle her autistic son Freddie to sleep when he gets distressed due to the loud music coming through his bedroom floor.

“You can feel the vibrations and hear shouting outside, which is scary for children,” she said.

“One night I sat crying in my home knowing I can’t do anything about this ridiculously loud music thumping through my flat, waking my children up, upsetting my little boy, who has autism so is very sensitive to sounds.

“He sleeps in my bed because he’s scared. He covers his ears, he cries, he screams under his covers.

“This is our home and it’s where we should be able to feel safe and be at peace.”

"In my living room I might as well be standing on the dancefloor in Fabric nightclub..."

One resident lived in the Ethelbert Crescent building when it was Franks Nightclub 20 years ago, and says the noise is worse than anything she experienced then.

“I’m in my 80s and this is affecting my health,” she said.

“I have been avoiding staying in my flat.”

Ms Powell lives in the flat directly above Faith in Strangers and says she has been left with no choice but to temporarily move out and rent elsewhere.

“We’ve been here since June 2019 and one of the reasons we bought in the building was because we thought the co-working space was so brilliant and we could use it,” she said.

“The art part sounded amazing. That bit is a brilliant business, we’ve nothing against that.

“But they had a few parties in 2019 and it was so loud up here - we could hear every word to Madonna. The floor was vibrating.”

Covid hit and so things quieted down, but Ms Powell says the noise started up again in May last year when it reopened with the late-night music offering.

“We can hear so much. It’s not just music, but the hand driers, furniture scraping - the building isn’t set up to be a nightclub anymore,” she said.

“When it was Franks they had interior walls, they’d dropped the ceiling, put loads of soundproofing in and there were no windows.

“The sound vibrates because it’s one big space now. In my living room I might as well be standing on the dancefloor in Fabric nightclub, and it goes on into the early hours.”

Ms Powell says residents’ pleas to Faith in Strangers get them nowhere and that three families are staying away temporarily and one has moved out permanently.

Another resident, Jill Thompson, says she is the least affected by the noise due to her flat’s positioning, but says the community is being broken because of the problem.

“I was widowed and what’s been comforting is the people and community here. Everyone looks after each other,” she said.

“But with this intolerable situation people are having to leave. No one will want to live here and it will become a transient population."

A council hearing is due to take place on Thursday after representations from eight of the 12 flats to the council.

Documents on Thanet District Council’s website list numerous call-outs last year by environmental health, with officers noting that noise was a nuisance.

In the application to review the licence, environmental health said: “Advice was given on acceptable levels until 11pm but this has not been consistently adhered to and levels after 11pm will need to be further reduced so as not to disturb sleep in neighbouring flats.

“Broadly speaking, occasional infrequent entertainment noise can be tolerated until 11pm but frequent occurrence or entertainment noise after 11pm should not be permitted to interfere with sleep.”

Although environmental health initially applied for a licence review, this was later withdrawn because "evidence" of the noise being a public nuisance had only come from one property.

However, because the residents did not agree to the council hearing being cancelled, a licensing sub-committee meeting is still going ahead on Thursday afternoon.

Despite the complaints, almost 130 people wrote letters of support towards the venue for the hearing, calling it a “key cultural and community-focused business” for the area.

But South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay says he would like to see complete revocation of the licence.

“The issue of late-night noise nuisance has been brought to my attention by very many residents,” he said.

“Many of these constituents have lived at Cliftonville Court for many years across the period when it operated as Frank’s Nightclub.

“They report the late-night noise now to be in a different league to the old nightspot.

“Faith in Strangers was originally sold to the community and to Thanet council as a flexible business workspace with occasional use as a music venue.

“Reports to me now indicate that it operates as an out-and-out late-hours music venue that is causing misery to residents.

“They report the late-night noise now to be in a different league to the old nightspot..."

“I obviously have no status with this licensing committee as this is a council function but I do hope to speak in robust support of long-suffering residents with a hope that changes to the licence will be made.

“Given the couldn’t-care-less attitude that all have experienced from the owners, I’d prefer complete revocation.”

A Thanet council spokesman confirmed the licensing sub-committee will hear from the venue and Cliftonville Court residents.

“The committee has a range of powers available if it considers that the licensing objectives are not being met,” she said.

“These include modifying the conditions of the licence, for example reducing opening hours; excluding specific activity, such as playing live or recorded music; suspending the licence for a period of time; or revoking the licence entirely.”

Faith in Strangers declined a request to comment.

Bosses previously said they had taken measures to alleviate some of the concerns, including rubber feet on chair legs and a dispersal policy to customers.