JB's banquet bid hit by Dudley Zoo car park wrangle

Its bosses were hoping to use Dudley Zoo's private car park for the use of guests during functions at the venue.

But in a letter to council planners, the zoo's chief executive Peter Suddock said the car park, off Castle Hill, Dudley, is strictly for use of the attraction's customers and has restricted opening hours.

Dudley Council's planning department this week announced it has refused a retrospective application on a change of use for the nightclub to allow JB's to hold other events such as conferences and banqueting.

But JB's owner Ramesh Ahir, who reopened the former rock music venue last year, today said that it was business as usual and added that he would be consulting solicitors over launching an appeal against the council's decision.

He says that nightclub customers have been able to use the car park under previous owners and that he hopes to come to an agreement with the zoo. JB's reopened last year after a six-figure revamp, with Mr Ahir saying the club would look to host more wedding receptions and live tribute acts rather than rock bands.

Planning officers, in a report announcing the decision, said: "The continued use of the property for a mix of uses including a nightclub, banqueting suite and conference facilities would raise significant highway safety concerns arising from the displacement of vehicles onto the highway for both parking and servicing due to the absence of available on or off-site parking and servicing facilities to support the continued operation of the development."

Mr Suddock, in his letter to the planning department, said: "The car park to the rear of their building is private car parking for the use of Dudley Zoological Gardens (DZG) customers, and is operated and managed by DZG with restricted opening hours; we have no arrangement in place with the owners of JB's."

The car park shuts at 4pm in the winter and 6pm in the summer, according to a letter by surveyors CPBigwood Ltd which is employed as a consultant by the zoo.

In the letter, CPBigwood Ltd representative Nigel Gough says there would also be concerns over the nightclub using the car park land as a service area for the building.

Mr Ahir today said he was disappointed by the decision, adding: "We will carry on and stay open but we will look to appeal against this.

"There has always been a car park behind the venue, and nothing was said about this before."

The nightspot's former owner put the club on the market after struggling with mounting debts in 2010.

Northamptonshire-based businessman Mr Ahir bought the venue and refurbished it prior to reopening last year.

He has owned a number of music and banqueting venues in the Midlands during the past three decades, as well as property and retail businesses.