Police object to late-night party plans at Smethwick industrial unit after council refuses club move

West Midlands Police has raised concerns over a request to host a late-night 100-guest private party at an industrial unit in Willow Court off Crystal Drive, Smethwick after plans to open a club were refused earlier this month.

Sandwell Council’s licensing committee will meet on Tuesday (October 21) to decide whether the event can go ahead.

The local authority rejected a move to convert one of the same units in Willow Court into a club in February, saying its use would be “incompatible” with its neighbours – a decision that was backed by a government inspector after an appeal was made to overturn the ruling.

West Midlands Police raised an objection to the application for a temporary event notice to host the 9pm-to-2am party on a weekend in November, saying it showed the venue was ignoring the council and inspector’s rulings.

The force said: “The premises is a warehouse unit on an industrial site and the applicant has previously applied for planning permission to operate as a late-night bar and event space in the adjoining unit.

“The planning permission was refused by Sandwell Council and that decision was subsequently appealed by the applicant.

“As such the premises has no planning permission to operate as a ‘warehouse for entertainment’ as described in the application and the fact the venue now wants to operate until 2am for a party suggests [it is] ignoring the planning restrictions and the concerns raised in that appeal.”

After refusal from Sandwell Council, the applicant Carlos Douglas appealed to the government planning inspector in a bid to get the decision overturned but was refused earlier this month.

The application for the temporary event notice in November was made a few days after the planning inspectorate published its decision.

Sandwell Council had earlier said the application for the club, which would be open until 3am six days a week, had “failed to demonstrate [it] would support, maintain or enhance the existing businesses as well as the employment function of the area".

The proposed opening hours were 11am to 3am between Monday and Saturday and 10.30am to midnight every Sunday with a maximum capacity of 50 people.

However, the inspector said it was unclear what the maximum capacity of the venue would be, with separate statements referring to 50 and as many as 150 people.

The government planning inspector Hannah Guest said: “There would be a real risk that evening events and those finishing in the early hours of the morning, especially those accommodating close to 150 people, would result in levels of noise that could harm the living conditions of nearby residents.”

A statement from the applicant submitted during the appeal process said the unit would be a “pre-bookable, business-orientated, multi-use space for events such as corporate training and conferencing, religious gatherings, small-scale and community celebrations, civic functions, training and educational programmes and family gatherings.”

Ahead of its rejection last year, West Midlands Police said the application lacked basic information, particularly on security measures, and called for it to be turned down.

An application for a premises licence was made by Mr Douglas late last year, asking for permission to sell alcohol and play music from the proposed club until 4am every day.