Angry neighbours want 'problem' Wolverhampton pub shut down and demolished

The Pendulum in Blaydon Road, Pendeford, is due to have its licence reviewed by the council next week, with neighbours fed up of of constant late-night noise and repeated anti-social behaviour.

The pub lost its licence in May 2020 after police caught people drinking alcohol inside at the height of the Covid lockdown.

However, fed-up neighbours have now appealed to licensing chiefs to close the premises for good, knock it down and use the site for a different purpose.

After submitting an application for a new licence, the pub was allowed to reopen subject to a number of conditions – one of which was that previous supervisor Soran Rostam had no involvement in running the business.

At the time, Gary Grant – solicitor for West Midlands Police – said that allowing Mr Rostam to continue as licensee would be “like leaving Ronnie Biggs in charge of Network Rail,”.

Police chiefs have applied for the current review after reports that the venue, which is in the Oxley ward, was failing to uphold licensing objectives and also being used to facilitate serious crime.

During a visit in February this year officers found three men living at the pub who were working illegally. The premises also operates a car wash on the car park.

Pub boss Mohammed Khalil Ali told police he was only at the premises for around two hours a week. When questioned further, he referred to this being at the car wash and not the pub.

A police spokesman said: “Mr Ali confirmed that he runs both the car wash and is the premises license holder for the pub. It is uncertain who actually runs this premises and whether it is in fact Mr Ali.

“The inconsistency in his accounts causes concern. There are ongoing criminal investigations relating to these offences and therefore we cannot disclose any further details.”

In a letter to the council, one neighbour who did not wish to be named, said: “I strongly oppose the issuing of a licence to this pub. Indeed, I support the removal of the existing licence on a permanent basis.

“Both myself and some of my neighbours have had cause to make official complaints against this pub on numerous occasions – the biggest being the problems with noise they constantly cause.

“They just don’t care about the nuisance they make of themselves. I am not against anyone trying to make a living but – and it’s a big but – not at the expense of the quality of life for those around them.

“The residents I have spoken to agree with me on what should be done – close the pub completely, evict whoever is living there, make a compulsory purchase order and then demolish it,” added the letter.

Another resident wrote: “This establishment has had no concern for local residents and has constantly caused a noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour problems over many years, causing local residents to lose sleep.

“The noise goes on into the small hours of the morning, often carrying on outside after pub has shut. At the very least, the hours they are allowed to open in the evening need to be drastically reduced.”

A further neighbour said: “When I first moved to the area, it was a well-run family-friendly pub. The opening hours were sensible and the landlord respected the local community. This is a far cry from the current situation.

“It appears that for many years now the pub has been run by landlords who just don’t care about the local residents. If you mention the pub to local people they don’t have a good word to say about it – and they are certainly not using it.

“It would appear that the pub’s clientele are coming into the area from far and wide. And opening during the coronavirus pandemic when it was supposed to be closed simply demonstrates the pub’s contempt for the law.

“Anti-social behaviour goes on outside the pub throughout opening hours and then continues after the doors have closed and it grinds you down,” added the resident’s email.

“The car wash also creates its own level of noise nuisance during the day. The local community would be better served if the building and land was sold off for more shops, a petrol station or housing.”

Current premises licence holder Mr Ali has also written to the council asking for matters to be taken into consideration.

“This is the first enterprise that I have undertaken in respect of running a licensed premises on my own. I have found that it has been very difficult to both relaunch the pub after its extended closure and the present financial climate,” he said.

“I would first like to apologise for the various matters referred to in your officers’ report dated March 22, 2022. I have addressed all the issues referred to and adopted all the relevant practices in the training manual.

“I have realised that in running the pub I require help and assistance. In this respect I have engaged a manager who will be tasked with specifically undertaking all the issues that have been raised by the council.

“I invite you to consider all the matters referred to and to give me the benefit of the doubt so that I can operate a successful, profitable and safe environment for all members of the community who use the pub,” he added.

Council bosses will discuss the licence review next Wednesday.