Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Licensing Sub Committee Hearing Panel - Thursday, 8th August, 2019 10.00 am

Venue: Council Antechamber, Level 2, Town Hall Extension. View directions

Contact: Andrew Woods 

Items
No. Item

132.

Application for Summary Review - Bliss Bar, 19 Albion Street, Manchester, M1 5LN pdf icon PDF 328 KB

The report of the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing  is enclosed.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the representations made on behalf of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the Premises Licence Holder (PLH) and have taken both the written and oral representations into account.

 

In reaching its decision the Committee have also considered the Council’s statement of Licensing Policy, the Licensing Act 2003, the Guidance issued by the Secretary of state under Section 182 of the Act and the licensing objectives.

 

Decision

 

To suspend the licence with immediate effect.

 

The Committee were concerned by the evidence from GMP of the level of violence involved in the incidents in the early hours of Saturday 3 August 2019 involving three victims being stabbed following fighting both inside and then outside the premises. All three victims had confirmed to GMP that they were inside the premises just prior to being stabbed outside the premises.

 

The Committee viewed the CCTV and observed an incident starting inside the club with a large number of customers involved. The Premises said they did not see anyone being hit and did not think there was a fight inside the premises. The Committee did not accept this. On their viewing of the CCTV it was clear that a serious incident involving violence started within the club. They observed a belt being wrapped around knuckles as a possible weapon and crutches being used by one customer as weapon. Whilst the Committee were of the view it was the correct thing to do in turning off the music and putting the lights on when this incident occurred this also supported how serious it actually was including the fact they cleared the premises even though it could open until 6am under a Temporary Event Notice that night. Further around four or five door staff and the owner became involved again showing it was more than just an argument.

 

It was therefore very concerning to the Committee that given this incident inside the premises that no one at the premises had called the police when the fighting first started inside. A call was made over the radio by a police officer in the area at 04.29 that a male had been stabbed. However, on viewing the CCTV the Committee noted that fighting had started within the premises at 04.12 when no call was made to the police.

 

It was observed that the fighting was broken up and the club starts emptying the people out however it was clear that this initial incident inside then continued and escalated outside involving the same people who were customers at the club. This then led to the three victims being stabbed in their torsos. The Committee accepted GMPs comments that this further fighting outside, and the three stabbing incidents, is likely to have been avoided if the premises had contacted the police when the initial fighting began inside the premises.

 

Whilst the premises state they were not responsible for what happened as it was not right outside their club and could have involved people from Deansgate Locks, the Committee concluded that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 132.