Blackpool nightclub Home & HQ has been unsuccessful in their bid for a license to extend the hours that they can legally serve drink by two hours. Despite a well thought out argument from the club owners, the request was turned down amidst fears that granting the application could result in further alcohol related violence in the town centre.
Plan To Attract Superstar DJs
The application that was submitted by the club’s owners was made to Blackpool Council and the licensing panel at the Town Hall considered it. The nightclub is currently able to sell alcohol until 4am and the application was made to extend the sale of alcohol in the “Headquarters” part of the nightclub until 6am. The club’s argument for this was that they would have a better chance of appealing to big name DJs who could potentially bring more people to Blackpool to see their favourite superstar DJs perform. By extending the hours that they could serve alcohol, there would be more earning potential to the club so that they would be able to fund the payment for these DJs who often charge around £10k per hour.
The counter argument put to the councillors was that by extending the hours of alcohol consumption, the night time businesses begin to blend in with the daytime ones, which would not be favourable for other businesses in the area. In addition, the police force already have a tough enough task with late night punters fighting on the streets when Flamingo and Kaos stop serving alcohol at 5am. It is not right to expect the taxpayer to fund the control of people who simply drink all night because they can and then who get into alcohol fuelled fights on the streets. This is not good for our local economy and it’s not good for our overall image either.
Strong Arguments From The Owners
Mike Nordwind, the proprietor of company Nordwind Developments who owns Blackpool nightclub Home & HQ explained that the application has been made to attempt to compete with major nightclubs in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester. These cities have a bustling, popular and profitable nightlife due to the superstar DJs who are hired in major venues. The fees for these acts are high and so if Blackpool wants to compete with those nightclubs then venues such as Home & HQ need the opportunity to raise these kinds of funds. It is even more important during the tourism season to provide an entertaining and memorable nightlife experience to encourage people to keep coming back to the town.
Concerns Over Drink Related Violence
Blackpool nightclub Home & HQ was opened 18 months ago and is situated on Talbot road, close to the promenade in the location that was once Rumours and Hush nightclub. Officials from the licensing panel expressed their views that the nightclub is one of the best run clubs in town but due to it’s central location, it could cause problems once punters leave the venue. Talbot square and neighbouring Queen Street are already the hotspots for trouble in the early hours of the morning due to the numbers of takeaways where people end up after they have finished their drinking for the night. It is these businesses that see the worst of the alcohol induced violence that occurs after the bars and clubs have closed.
With police already stretched to deal with drunken behaviour earlier in the night, it was decided that the police shouldn’t be expected to manage people who drink and drink just because they can and who have no regard for their actions once they have surpassed their limits for drinking.
The nightclub owners are allowed to make an appeal against the decision within 21 days.
