Fire safety concerns over restaurant’s licence bid at meeting this week

Licensing bosses are set to review an application for a restaurant and bar in a city centre, after postponing the matter earlier this month.

The First Class Lounge in School Street, Wolverhampton, which occupies a two-storey corner premise that was formerly home to Catellani’s Italian Restaurant, had its application deferred due to separate licensing issues relating to both floors of the venue.

However, the application has raised a number of concerns with fire safety chiefs and environmental health officers as the venue is located within one of the city’s designated ‘Cumulative Impact Zones’ (CIZ).

This means that the surrounding area has a high concentration of licensed premises, which puts it at higher risk in terms of upholding the four required licensing objectives.

The application, made by Mr Erastus Ndi, seeks to open the venue predominately as a restaurant during the week and as a nightclub on Friday and Saturday evenings.

It also seeks to provide live and recorded music, late night refreshments and the sale of alcohol on the premises.

A recent inspection of the premises, conducted by West Midlands Fire Service, has raised a number of safety concerns.

In a letter to the council, fire safety officer Neil Aston-Baugh said: “A fire safety visit has been undertaken and there are some safety issues that negatively affect the licensing objective of public safety.

“The fire alarm is faulty; (there is) insufficient emergency lighting in some areas; the rear fire exit was blocked and impassable at the time of the inspection; the plastic wall panels on the first floor are a fire hazard; the proposed safe numbers of 220 patrons appears to be inadequately calculated which may lead to overcrowding.

“The fire authority will maintain its representation until the above matters are rectified and the safe occupancy numbers are clarified,” added Mr Aston-Baugh.

Additional concerns have also been raised by the council’s Environmental Health Department, Public Health and the Licensing Authority.

In written correspondence to licensing bosses, city centre senior officer for environmental health Sarah Gee said: “There is insufficient detail within the operating schedule to show how they will address the prevention of public nuisance, especially given that planning permission has been granted for the provision of 116 dwellings at Network House, School Street.

“Additionally, as this department deals with many fly-posting problems I would like to look at this issue too. I will liaise with the applicant to obtain more detail.”

The council’s health improvement officer Amy Baker added: “Public Health object against the licence application on the basis it falls within a Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ) and undermines the licensing objectives of the prevention of crime and disorder and the prevention of public nuisance and public safety.”

In a letter from the city’s licensing authority, section leader Elaine Moreton said: “There is insufficient information within the operating schedule to show how they will address all four licensing objectives.

“The authority notes the premises has been operating under the use of temporary events notices, and applications have continuously been returned as void by licensing services.

“This raises concerns for the licensing authority as to the applicant’s understanding of the legislation surrounding the supply of alcohol, provision of regulated entertainment and late night refreshment.

“I will be looking to mediate with the applicant in order to address these concerns.”

Licensing consultant Paul Jones from Innpacked – acting on behalf of the premises – said his client had agreed to a reduction in the hours applied for and had also submitted a list of amendments to the proposed application.

Wolverhampton Council’s statutory licence sub-committee will discuss the application during an online meeting on Friday.