Police fears over plans for 12-hour BBQ at venue
POLICE have expressed concerns about a planned 12-hour birthday party and barbecue at a Derby venue previously linked with violence, including a shooting.
Derby City Council’s licensing team has received a request to host an event at Colombo House, in Colombo Street, between 4pm and 4am on the weekend commencing Saturday, September 4.
Documents submitted to the city council said a maximum of 200 people would attend the event.
Derby City Council will decide at a meeting on Monday a Temporary Event Notice should be granted to allow the party and barbecue.
The approval of the notice would allow the event to sell alcohol and non-alcohol drinks during the times requested.
Police have previously raised concerns about activities at Colombo House.
Three years ago police in response to a similar request for an event said: “the premises have a history of serious crime and disorder directly linked to events being held at the premises.”
The force also stated that, in 2015, the premises was subject to a three-month closure order following a number of incidents, including one in which someone was shot. Derbyshire Constabulary has raised similar fears about the forthcoming event.
A letter to the council’s licensing department said: “It is the view of the Chief Officer of Police that this notice, if granted without suitable and adequate safeguards (which cannot be enforced on a Temporary Event Notice) could cause unwanted alcohol fuelled antisocial behaviour and crime and disorder into the early hours of the morning.
“This notice would allow a captive audience access to alcohol for an extended period of time into the early hours. The applicant who is a personal licence holder has stated that it is a party for his birthday and that he will be running the bar himself.
“The premises is an industrial area of the city away from taxi ranks and other means of easy egress for people who will likely be heavily intoxicated at the time of the morning that this Notice will end.”
Police have urged the applicant to finish licensed activities at 2am rather than 4am but have also invited the council to serve a counter notice to the applicant should the authority wish to cancel the event.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has attempted to contact Colombo House for comment