The University has asked the Students’ Union to close Top Bar. If this plan is accepted, the area that is currently Top Bar will house an East-Asian restaurant named ‘Spice’ which will be run by the University. Top Bar will be relocated to the space that is currently the kitchen and the space that was formerly Sizzlers; it will be half the size of the current Top Bar and without space for pool tables, the DJ booth and other amenities.

The Students’ Union has already denied this request, but the University is refusing to take no for an answer. They will put the request to the SU again in the summer term of 2011. The SU will continue to resist the pressure from the University to close Top Bar, but need explicit support from Essex students in order to convince the University that these plans are unacceptable.

We the undersigned strongly object to plans to close or relocate Top Bar. If this plan is implemented, our student experience will not be improved, but significantly worsened. We believe that Top Bar is worth subsidising in order to maintain its valuable contribution to student experience.

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