Wedding venue gets licence back under new owners

Casa Brighouse is now under new management

A restaurant, bar and wedding venue has had its licence restored after it was suspended following the discovery of a cannabis farm on the premises.

Calderdale Council imposed the restrictions preventing Casa Brighouse from selling alcohol or holding events after police found 2,000 cannabis plants in the building on 5 August.

West Yorkshire Police arrested two people in connection with the matter, including the venue's owner Jack McDaid.

On Tuesday the council's licensing sub-committee granted the transfer of the Casa's licence to the Anderson Group after hearing they had struck a deal to buy the business from Mr McDaid.

The venue's new owners intend to run is as a family-orientated venue

The meeting was told that West Yorkshire Police believed the venue was "connected with serious crime".

Licensing officer Matthew Dalton said one of the suspects arrested was a 17-year-old Vietnamese national suspected of being an illegal immigrant, raising concerns over modern slavery.

Papers supplied to the meeting said officers had discovered that the Casa's electricity supply was being taken directly from the mains after it was cut off following an unpaid bill.

People living nearby had also been "terrorised in their own home", according to councillor Angie Gallagher, who sits on the sub-committee.

Noise complaints, nuisance behaviour, sewage and parking were among the issues reported to the authority, environmental health officers said.

Since January, 35 complaints about noise and nuisance behaviour had been received. They included fighting and laughing gas cannisters being dumped in the street following raves hosted at the site, the meeting heard.

Paul Anderson from the Anderson Group said a multimillion-pound deal to buy the venue was at "an advanced stage" and he intended to run it "as a family destination".

Mr Anderson, whose company runs nine licensed premises across Calderdale, told the meeting he had already secured a five-year lease.

Under the conditions of the new licence, neither Mr McDaid or any of his family members would be allowed on the premises.

Parking and noise management plans must also be put in place and the venue would be regularly inspected by council officers, the meeting heard.

Mr Anderson said it would "take a lot of work to get that site back where it needs to be", but confirmed it would remain open.

"I intend to operate that place completely differently," he said.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said enquiries were ongoing regarding the discovery of the cannabis farm and Mr McDaid had been released under investigation.

The 17-year-old has been charged with production of cannabis and has been bailed to appear at Bradford Magistrates Court on 21 November.

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