Cigar plan could go up in smoke
A BUSINESSMAN who wants to spend £100,000-plus creating a Gentleman’s club-style cigar lounge at his Huddersfield town centre bar has run into problems with Kirklees Council.
Ian Snowball, who runs Showtime on Zetland Street, sells Cuban cigars and is busy setting up an expensive, wood-panelled, cigar lounge at premises he bought recently next door to the bar.
The entrepreneur, who has an extensive legal knowledge, said he anticipated there might be some problems as the law regarding such lounges is complex, though he says Harrods in London appear to operate a sampling lounge without any problems.
But to make sure he contacted the council’s lead officer for smokefree enforcement, who advised him that ‘if you intend to have a smoking lounge for cigars this is not permitted.’ He said: “She also said that while we would be allowed to let our customers sample the cigars on the premises, they would not be allowed to do so while sitting down.”
In her email to him, the officer added: “Please do not start any expensive work until you can ensure that you meet the requirements of the Smokefree laws and of the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002. Kirklees actively enforces against premises which allow smoking in enclosed premises.
“As a specialist tobacco retailer you are entitled to allow people to sample the tobacco (provided the shop has the required air changes etc) but not allow people to sit and smoke cigars in the shop.
“Therefore if you intend to have a smoking lounge for cigars this is not permitted.”
Mr Snowball said: “The lounge floor, ceiling and walls are being rebuilt to provide a continuous fresh air flow from floor to ceiling which replaces the entire air in the room every couple of minutes. This air runs through state of the art equipment to ensure the humidity, heat and fresh air remains the same throughout the day and an air quality monitor is also situated in the room with visual indicators and a downloadable ap for anyone interest in viewing the measurement of CO2 or volatile chemicals etc in the room.
“Notification of a change of building use to the front room being used as a specialist tobacconist will be made to the planning department. in due course.”
Mr Snowball has big plans for the property he bought and has spent more than £60,000 buying hot tubs for the outside area, which he had specially craned into place earlier this year.
He said he anticipated between six to 20 people would be able to use the cigar lounge at any one time.