A meeting is being held today in order to come to a decision whether or not to grant Revolución de Cuba, Temple Street an extension to their operating hours on proposed weekends throughout November.
Birmingham City Council received a Temporary Event Notice from the popular cocktail bar on 12th October 2018. The TEN outlined a request to extend the bar’s operating hours on the payday weekend beginning Thursday 29th November and a number of weekends to follow, meaning instead of closing at 1am, they would lengthen service by two hours and serve alcohol up to 3am.
The popular chain opened its Birmingham bar in March earlier this year. It is one of the only Revolución bars across the country to close at 1am according to general manager, John Hughes, with others closing at or around 3am.
Within the terms of Revolución’s current license, it is not mandatory for the bar to seek permission to do this, but it must provide the council with notice at least ten days before the proposed event.
The TEN was objected by West Midlands Police on 16th October, which is the reason behind today’s meeting. It has been objected on the grounds that Temple Street and its surrounding areas has a relatively low crime rate that requires little policing according to West Midlands Police. Bars of a similar nature close-by with similar closing times include The Botanist, The Lost and Found and Las Iguanas.
West Midlands police said:
“With a closing time of 1am, the nature of the clientele that frequent the area is significantly different to that of the two more recognised night-time economy areas in Birmingham City Centre”
John Hughes argues that bars less than a five minute walk away from the area operate with a later closing time. Speaking to Hughes today, he says:
“The police have objected on the bases that we are in a low crime rate zone because we close at 1am. But bars round the corner such as Dirty Martini and Be at One both close later than us, so we’ll see what the verdict is”
This map outlines the distance between Dirty Martini which opens til 2:30am and Revolución which has had its request to open til 3am objected.
A meeting with the bar will take place on Wednesday to deliver the verdict on today’s hearing.
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