Licence plea for weddings at The Public

Weddings could be held at The Public after bosses applied to use it for civil ceremonies.

Linda Saunders, general manager of the West Bromwich arts centre, said she had shown a registrar around the building.

She said: "The registrar was absolutely amazed. It is a fabulous building."

An application has been lodged with Sandwell Council licensing chiefs.

The Public opened on Saturday, more than a year behind schedule.

Around 2,000 people went through the doors on the first day, followed by 500 on both Sunday and Monday.

A planned £7 entry charge was dropped after Sandwell Arts Trust – an arm of Sandwell Leisure Trust – was set up by Sandwell Council to run it.

The Public was designed to accommodate a range of events, including corporate and private functions. Modifications to the original designs of the kitchens mean the building can host banquets for up to 360 people.

The building, in New Street, is intended to be a "cultural focal point" within the town and is aiming to attract as wide an audience as possible.

Project architect Julian Flannery and his practice Flannery & de la Pole took over the reigns of creating The Public from Will Alsop after it went into administration in 2006.

Flannery said changes were made to the original brief, including the theatre and kitchens, to accommodate demand for corporate functions and weddings.