7 October 2010
A nightclub in Barnsley is to close down after owners were told to improve fire safety or lose their licence forever.
Citrus Rooms was found to have “defective emergency lighting, defective electrical installation and locked emergency exits,” Barnsley Council told info4fire.
At an initial review hearing on 9 September, members of the council’s statutory licensing board alongside South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service ordered the premises to close until 27 September to allow the owners to make the necessary improvements. They were also told to undertake management and staff training and provide appropriate health and safety documentation.
However, the premises licence holder, Citrus Trading Limited, has since surrendered the licence to Barnsley Council with immediate effect.
Cllr Charlie Wraith, chairman of the Council’s licensing board, said: “We gave the company the benefit of the doubt and allowed them two weeks, at their own request, to complete the necessary improvements to the premises and prove they had the appropriate training and procedures in place to ensure the safety of the public.
“However, the licence holder has decided against this option and has opted to close the premises.”