The Licensing Act Sub Committee of Cornwall Council was scheduled to consider a review of the premises licence for Rum Store Carnglaze Caverns in St Neot, Liskeard. The meeting's agenda also included standard procedural items.

Review of Premises Licence for Rum Store Carnglaze Caverns

The primary item scheduled for discussion was a review of the premises licence for the Rum Store Carnglaze Caverns, located in St Neot, Liskeard, Cornwall. This review was initiated by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, a 'Responsible Authority' under the Licensing Act 2003¹.

The grounds for the review, as outlined in the application, relate to the licensing objective of Public Safety. Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service expressed concerns regarding fire safety deficiencies at the venue, specifically citing:

• Lack of sufficient fire exits for the occupancy
• Excessive travel distances
• Inadequate fire warning and detection systems

The report pack indicates that Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service felt that if the public safety concerns could not be addressed through the imposition of conditions, their desired outcome would be the revocation of the premises licence.

The licence holders, Mr Antony Perkins and Miss Lisa Perkins, who have held the premises licence since October 2025, submitted a response to the review application. In their response, they contested the grounds for the review, stating that the venue has been licensed for such uses for over 20 years without incident. They argued that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005² does not apply to Carnglaze Caverns, as it is a mine and therefore falls under the jurisdiction of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). They stated that they are working with the HSE to implement practicable recommendations and are commissioning fire simulations and evacuation exercises. The licence holders also noted that Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service had previously confirmed they would not be taking further action regarding extended travel distances in an email dated 13th October 2025.

The report pack also detailed the procedure for the conduct of Licensing Act Sub-Committee premises review hearings, which involves outlining the matter, representations from parties, questions from members, and final submissions before a decision is made. The Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider whether to take no action, modify the conditions of the premises licence, exclude a licensable activity, remove the designated premises supervisor, suspend the licence for up to three months, or revoke the licence.

No other representations were received from responsible authorities or other persons following the public notice of the review application.