Music venue 'at risk' due to fire escape delays

The venue is due to host upcoming gigs by The Specials, Fatboy Slim and Sophie Ellis-Bextor

A Coventry music venue said its future would be at risk if redesigned temporary fire escapes were not urgently approved.

HMV Empire's fire escapes were demolished last month as part of a major city centre redevelopment.

A plan for temporary stairways to Hertford Street was approved in February but, in a letter to the council, planning agent Les Greenwood said costs had proved "excessively high" and an amended plan was needed. "Extra costs and loss of revenue" were mounting up, he added.

A revised proposal, received by the city council on 10 September, has been submitted as a non-material amendment in the hope it will be dealt with quickly. The council has been approached for a comment.

The venue is running at 20-25% capacity and shows have had to be moved elswehwere, Mr Greenwood said.

A Jake Bugg gig on 11 September was moved from the HMV Empire to Coventry Cathedral due to safety concerns, and a Sophie Ellis-Bextor show postponed from 14 September to 16 October.

"Every day counts now and the continuing viability of the Empire is at risk," Mr Greenwood wrote.

Operators are required by law to have a safety exit plan in event of a building fire.

Mr Greenwood said the venue had incurred extra costs for individual fire risk assessments and the hiring of three fire marshalls for continuing events.

In his letter accompanying a proposed amendment, Mr Greenwood wrote: "There have unfortunately been extensive delays and the situation is now extremely urgent.

"The design has not proved to be practical due to excessively high costs and the engineers' added requirements for foundations."

He added it would take over three weeks to install each approved stairway and instead suggested smaller structures, built from kit parts, that would take just a week each.

Planners previously acknowledged the appearance of the approved staircases, which were to be fully enclosed, would be "undesirable".

However, they allowed the plan within the context of the ongoing regeneration, to enable the Empire to continuing operating.

Mr Greenwood, of Greenwood Planning, said the revised stairways would have a smaller footprint and be "lighter in appearance", with only bottom sections fully enclosed.