After a long battle with Hamilton City Council over the refurbishment of the Next Door Bar, its owner has had a complete change of plan - he's going to demolish the whole place and start afresh.

After 15 years open as Hamilton's only gay nightclub, the Next Door Bar and neighbouring sex-on-site venue 10 High were forced to close on October 2006, as council inspectors branded the building 'structurally unsound'.

After eighteen months and numerous attempts to repair and refit the venue, it seems owner Clive Brooker's troubles with the Council are showing no signs of ending.

"It's made it a nightmare, and we'd hoped that it would be all finished long ago," says Next Door Bar DJ and supporter Mark Richardson. "So now there's a complete change of plan - which means that the Next Door Bar won't be coming back.

"We've decided just to knock the whole thing down, and build something else."

When the consent to demolish the venue comes through, the Next Door Bar team will throw one last party to say goodbye, says Richardson.

"It'll be a special event. One night just to say farewell."

The Waikato is now home to another LGBT nightclub - Shine in Victoria Street, central Hamilton. Meanwhile, Hamilton's dinner and drag cabaret venue Glamz! is open for social drinks most evenings, and Guyz Sauna and Spa on Victoria Street is a well established all-male sex-on-site venue.