TIME is about to be called on several well-known Blackpool venues after management failed to renew their public entertainment licences four months ago.
Blackpool councillors will hear today (Thursday) how a leading hotel, three pubs and a controversial all-male lap dancing club are among the venues which have so far not renewed the licences which ran out in March.
The council's public protection committee will consider whether or not public entertainment licences should be renewed for:
Blackpool's Savoy hotel
Bispham's Old England pub, Red Bank Road
The Oxford Hotel, Oxford Junction
Scruffy Murphy's in Blackpool town centre
The Blue Room, Church Street
Wicked male lap dancing club, Chapel Street
An application for the renewal of the public entertainment licence for the currently closed Palace nightclub is also due to be considered, along with one for Underbar, Bank Hey Street.
All have submitted outstanding paperwork, including up-to-date electrical certificates, over the last few days, with the exception of Scruffy Murphy's, Underbar and The Palace, said a council spokeswoman yesterday (Wednesday).
But council officers have still had to spend months chasing all the venues, some several times, for renewal packs sent out last December to be returned.
"By failing to respond to the renewal process, public safety cannot be guaranteed and the committee is requested to consider whether the licensee is a fit and proper person to hold a public entertainment licence," said officers' reports in the committee's agenda.
Cllr Henry Mitchell, expected to attend today's meeting, said: "We have the power to close them down if they haven't renewed their licences.
"Basically, it's from a safety aspect, if for instance the electrics are not right or the fire aspects are not right.
"The Palace has been shut down now for quite a while and fire inspectors haven't been able to check it meets fire regulations.
"We have to be satisfied that everything is right."
And he reminded venues that from next year liquor licenses will also be handled by the council and not magistrates.
"We could say until you have got your house in order we are shutting it down, though hopefully we wouldn't be that brutal," Cllr Mitchell added.
A spokeswoman for Staffordshire based Spirit Group, which owns Scruffy Murphy's, said an issue with regulations had caused a delay.
She added: "We are aware of the situation and we are managing it.
"I think we will be going to the committee and explaining why the situation is as it is.
"We hope for a positive outcome while we rectify the situation."
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