The meeting was scheduled to consider an application by West Midlands Police to review the premises licence of Astoria in Wolverhampton. Councillors were also scheduled to be provided with the licensing authority and Public Health's representations in support of the application, and the fire service's representation that they wishes to support the review objectives of West Midlands Police.

Application for the Review of the Premises Licence of Astoria nightclub

The meeting was scheduled to consider an application for the review of the premises licence of the Astoria nightclub in Wolverhampton. The application was made by West Midlands Police on 28 October 2024 and concerns the failure by the Premises Licence Holder and the Designated Premises Supervisor to notify West Midlands Police of events being held at the premises and their failure to provide CCTV footage to the police within seven working days of it being requested.

The licensing authority submitted a report to the sub-committee in which they state that The evidence provided by West Midlands Police within their application indicates that [the licence holder and designated premises supervisor] are not upholding the licensing objective of the Prevention of Crime and Disorder and therefore putting the public at risk.. They requested that the sub-committee ensure these issues are addressed in accordance with Section 52 of the Licensing Act 2003 and guidance issued by the Secretary of State under 182 of the Act, together with City of Wolverhampton Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy..

The sub-committee was provided with a copy of the Licensing Act 2003. It was also provided with the council's Statement of Licensing Policy.

Public Health also submitted a report to the sub-committee in support of the review. In their report, Public Health state that This lack of cooperation and accountability by both the DPS and the premises licence holder undermines the licensing objective of preventing crime and disorder, putting the safety and wellbeing of the public in Wolverhampton at risk.

Fire safety at Astoria nightclub

West Midlands Fire Service submitted a report to the sub-committee in which they stated that they believe that the operator has failed on numerous occasions to adequately promote the licensing objective of public safety, particularly in relation to fire safety and the building regulations.

They raise a number of concerns about fire safety at the venue, including that work required to address fire safety concerns was not completed before the venue opened to the public, that they believe that the person directing the business is not the person named on the premises licence, that the fire alarm system had not been properly serviced and that the venue's fire risk assessment had not been properly conducted.

They conclude by saying that they is of the opinion that the Public Safety Objective is being undermined by the operators as they have failed to address matters suitably, despite being reminded and despite the explicit wording of the undertaking, which should have been sufficient to guide them.

The sub-committee was provided with a copy of a voluntary agreement signed by the licence holder and the fire service on 18 August 2023 in which the licence holder agreed to complete a list of fire safety improvements at the venue.