Heaven’s Door open later

Commercial Rd gay club Heaven’s Door has won a three-year battle to extend its opening hours.

Owner Brian Frewin told Southern Star he was thrilled the extended hours have been approved.

“It’s a miracle” he said. “We wanted to get this through because we’re really a nightclub rather than a bar and 3am was just too early for us to close on a weekend, people just wanted to keep partying.”

Heaven’s Door is now able to extend its 3am Friday and Saturday trading hours to 5am. Wednesday nights have also been extended from 1am to 3am.

The change didn’t occur without a fight. Frewin had to go to the Victorian Civil and Administrate Tribunal to fight Stonnington Council’s initial rejection of the application.

The venue has now undertaken soundproofing in compliance with council request and has already started its extended trading hours.

Frewin said he was lucky to have applied for the extended hours six months before the Brumby Government put a halt to extended licences in 2007.