Cocktail bar approved at building empty for decade

The cocktail bar would be open until 02:00 every day in Princess Street under the plans

Plans for a new city centre cocktail bar in a building that has been empty for more than a decade have been given the green light by a council.

The WV1 Cocktail Bar can open on Princess Street in Wolverhampton, where a planned new restaurant and flats had approval in 2021, but work was never carried out.

The latest plans by Nicholas Forrester from RND Leisure would see the cocktail bar open until 02:00 every day.

The initial application had asked for permission to open until 03:00, but was revised after talks between the bar, West Midlands Police and City of Wolverhampton Council.

The force, West Midlands Fire Service and council bodies had earlier objected to the application, but agreed to discuss the plans with the new club owner to avoid the need for a committee hearing.

Some of the objections were raised over the new bar sitting within the city centre's 'cumulative impact zone' (CIZ), which comes with extra rules due to it being a high-risk area.

Large parts of the city centre, including Princess Street, make up one of the city's CIZs because of the area's higher crime and disorder rates and the 'density' of pubs, clubs, late-night venues and takeaways.

The council's licensing policy puts the onus on applicants to prove how new venues would not add to existing alcohol-fuelled issues in 'problem areas'.

The new bar can open, after the council's licensing committee gave its backing.

Alcohol and late-night refreshments would be served until 01:30 at the building, which was last occupied by Revolution bar before it closed in 2013.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.