A Leicester bar forced to shut its doors after fire officers uncovered a string of serious safety concerns is attempting an unlikely comeback.
Leicester’s Glassy Club, which lost its licence after inspectors uncovered serious hazards at the venue, is asking the city council to let it reopen under new management.
The bar, located on the ground floor of an old cinema house on Green Lane Road, was subject to a licence review on July 6 after officers from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) raised the alarm.
Fire protection officer Sophie Smith told members of Leicester City Council’s Licensing Hearings Sub-committee that the fire alert system had been taped over and there was no management plan in place.
Due to a collapsed ceiling, the upstairs tenants’ wooden floorboards were on show. Several flats, housing “vulnerable” residents and a young child, had to be evacuated when the risks were identified.
LFRS issued an enforcement notice to the business head, Parveshkumar Macan, but he has now reportedly left the business and the country.
This enforcement notice is still outstanding.
A new supervisor, Dityang Arvind, is awaiting the lease for the property and in a hearing on Thursday, September 10, asked the council to give the bar its licence back.
The licence would allow for live and recorded music and the sale of alcohol, with opening hours between 12pm to 11.20pm and 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Anil Bhaswar, representing the Glassy Club, said: “The applicant is completely new to this premises and has never been involved previously.
“95 per cent of the fire safety work has been done by the proposed tenant even though the notice was on someone else’s name – someone who left the business and left the country.
“Mr Arvind is going to keep an emphasis on the public safety side of things and give a fresh outlook to the building.”
The applicant told members that six new smoke detectors had already been installed, the bar’s walls had been plastered, and the opening to the upstairs flats had been sealed.
The committee, led by Councillor Dr Susan Barton (Labour) who is also the vice chair of the local fire authority, retired to decide on the bid.
They have the option to grant the licence, impose conditions, or reject it entirely.
A decision is expected within five days.
By Caitlin James (Local Democracy Reporter)
