Coventry venue safe to reopen after licence update
Coventry’s HMV Empire has been allowed to continue operating after fire exit upgrades
Coventry’s HMV Empire has been allowed to continue operating after installing two temporary fire exits to replace those lost to the City Centre South development.
A member of the public had objected to the new arrangements on fire safety grounds which prompted a licensing hearing with officers and councillors at Coventry City Council but those concerns were dismissed by the panel.
Solicitor Sarah Taylor, speaking on behalf of the venue, explained that no concerns had been raised by the responsible authorities including the police and fire service. Indeed the latter attended the hearing in support of the licence variation and the measures that had been put in place.
She said: “Two fire exits at the rear of the building have been lost which was not the choice of the applicant, and that has led to this application.
"I just want to express the importance of fire safety. Fire is not the sort of thing where we get a second chance to correct, we have to make sure from the beginning that the premises are safe and that is why there has been such extensive dialogue between the applicant and the fire service.
“The applicant has had to spend quite an extensive amount of money making changes to the premises to accommodate taking out the two fire exits to the rear and implementing new ones.
"Effectively, what we now have is an improved system with more fire exits that we had before and the access is wider.”
During the meeting it was confirmed that the capacity at the venue was 1,001 while the temporary fire escapes were in place and this was confirmed by a representative of the fire service, Ian Jones, who was at the meeting.
He explained: “We have worked very closely with the HMV Empire over the last 18 months and used our regulatory powers to ensure they remain within the letter of the law.
"The venue has made some difficult decisions and have closed down events and moved others with an eye on public safety. We agree that there is sufficient time to safely evacuate the premises and happy that 1,001 is a safe capacity for that venue.”
Ivor Barnsley, the objector to the licence variation, explained that his motive was all to do with safety. He told the hearing: “The objection has nothing to do with business, my main concern is fire safety.
“It worries me how 1,001 people would get out of the front of that building. There could be pinch points and bottlenecks. This is purely based on my opinion of public safety and protecting those that are there. This is very simple, can that venue cope with 1,001 people? I’m no expert but I’ve been in the building trade.”
After considering the evidence, Cllr Christine Thomas, who chaired the hearing, said the licence variation had been granted. She added that the applicant had taken the necessary steps and had shown to be both professional and knowledgeable.
“The sub-committee is satisfied that the applicant engaged extensively and appropriately with West Midlands Fire Service,” she added. “No reliable evidence has been presented to demonstrate that the premises had operated at over-capacity or that any safe capacity had been breached.”