COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Owners of Coventry’s Kasbah club have lodged an objection to a new student nightspot in the city centre.



They fear that the opening of Hush nightclub by Coventry Students’ Union will encourage binge drinking if the experience of the other bar they run is anything to go by.

Brothers Amarjit and Varinder Kullar, who run Kasbah, in Primrose Hill Street, Hillfields, have written to Coventry City Council’s licensing sub-committee to protest about the club, which has yet to open but has a licence to sell alcohol from 11am-3am.

The Kullar brothers say: “We believe this should not be allowed because it will mean the duplication of a facility that the students’ union already enjoy.

“Only last year a new students’ union was built for their (Coventry University) students, which included a purpose-built bar and nightclub premises.

“In the past there have been difficulties in the mode of operation of the previous student union premises, in Cox Street.

“At that time they were promoting binge drinking by encouraging students to attend nights when drinks were 50p each all night.

“Students were going to the students’ union club and drinking what they could and then made their way to the Kasbah.

“We were turning the drunk ones away and this caused problems for security with drunk students refusing to walk away from the premises.”

Coventry University vice-chancellor, Professor Madeleine Atkins, sent a message to all students stating the Hush nightclub was being run independently from the university.

The email states: “From the university’s point of view, Hush is simply another independent nightclub operating in the city.

“It will not therefore benefit from any of the services that the university provides to events in the Hub such as additional support from our protection service if needed.

Nor will the university be providing advice or undertaking regular inspections of Hush on health and safety matters or on the management of events. These will be the responsibility solely of the students’ union.”

The students’ union has agreed conditions with the Coventry Health Board for notices to be displayed showing sensible drinking guidelines inside the club.

There will also be a noise limiting device and CCTV installed. Admission will be restricted to Coventry University students and two guests each.

The club will have two bar areas, a DJ booth and toilets.

Coventry club Hush wins 3am entertainment licence


The former Paris cinema

A nightclub in Coventry is to open its doors after being granted an entertainment licence.

Hush nightclub, in Far Gosford Street, was yesterday given the go-ahead to run performances of plays, dance and films from 11am until 3am.

Owners of the Kasbah club, in Hillfields, had objected to the licence, claiming another club could cause public nuisance.

But at a licensing committee meeting yesterday, councillors agreed the new club, which is run by Coventry University Students’ Union (CUSU), had met licensing requirements.

Heath Thomas, the solicitor acting on behalf of CUSU, said several conditions have been agreed with police, environmental protection and public health.

These include notices being displayed in the club on sensible drinking guidelines, a noise-limiting device to restrict the maximum music volume, CCTV to be installed and to give the licensing authority a minimum of 14 days before any drink promotion at the club for approval.

The club, formerly Rileys snooker hall, will now open tomorrow night with a beach-themed night. It already has a drinks licence.

Brothers Varinder and Amarjit Kullar, who run Kasbah, in Primrose Hill Street, Hillfields, had alleged a senior member of staff for CUSU, who ran 50p drinks promotions at a former student nightclub at another venue, was also involved in the running of Hush.

But Mr Thomas told the licensing committee the member of staff was no longer employed with CUSU.

Mr Thomas said: “The conditions agreed are very clear and set out to promote the licensing objectives with the agreement of each of the authorities. Any history to drinks promotions is old and out of date. Any concerns about previous drinks promotions is from almost a year ago.

“The real concerns are that this club is going to promote irresponsible drinking and the answer is an emphatic no.”