‘Shambles’ at Brookes Bar slammed by Dudley councillors
Councillors launched a blistering attack on a ‘shambles’ that cost Dudley taxpayers nearly two million pounds.
The failure of Brookes Bar and Bistro, which closed in August 2024, was under scrutiny at the authority’s Audit and Standards Committee where councillors delivered a damning verdict on the project.
Members of the committee at their meeting heard a detailed account from officers on how the bar at Dudley Town Hall was created to be a ‘key player’ in the town’s nightlife but eventually closed after losing £387,700 in its first 18 months.
Councillors queued up to have their say on the Priory Road scheme which had initial construction costs of £1.5m.
Committee chair, Councillor Karl Denning, said: “I find it really strange, most hospitality would have closed after the first year with those massive losses.
“The alarm bells didn’t sound in that first year and the amount is neck-snapping, officers did not tell elected officials and elected officials did not stop the money.
“Losing that much money is shameful on all of us.”
Helen Martin, Dudley’s director of regeneration and enterprise, the department which was in charge of the bar until April 2024, said: “All of the costs and income loss was monitored from day one and reported through all the various different budget areas, we started conversations with commercial at a point when we needed their support.
