Bar's licence revoked within a year of opening

Zambezi Lounge, in Attercliffe Road, has had its licence revoked

A bar has had its licence revoked less than a year after it opened, following repeated breaches of its conditions.

A review of the premises licence for Zambezi Lounge, on Attercliffe Road, Sheffield, was carried out by the city council's licensing sub-committee on Monday.

A report published ahead of the meeting said the bar had been “continuing to carry out unauthorised licensable activities and repeatedly breaching conditions” since getting its licence on 31 October last year.

The committee heard the breaches had included “music still blaring” long after closing time and also, on one occasion, cannabis being smoked near the premises.

The document also highlighted an occasion where a person was assaulted by the club's doorman.

The report noted that during a visit to the site in April, council officers found that 20 of the 36 conditions attached to the premises licence were being breached.

The committee went on to hear that over the last 12 months, a number of visits were carried out to offer support, advice and warnings to the licence holders.

'Difficulties and shortcomings'

After detailing the breaches, the numerous visits and the advice and support given, a South Yorkshire Police officer asked councillors to revoke the premises licence.

During Monday's meeting, members also heard that the building did not have planning permission to be a late-night venue.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the licence holder apologised for music being played late on some occasions and admitted there had been problems with that.

He called on members of the committee to note the improvements which had taken place, although he also admitted that there had been “difficulties” and “shortcomings”.

With regards to a complaint about someone smoking cannabis in the proximity of the premises, the licence holder said the business did not support smoking at all.

He concluded by asking committee members to keep the premises open for the community to use, adding that he was even willing to step down if that was required so the business could stay open.

Asked why the committee should trust him to transfer the licence to someone else to run the business when he had clearly misled the authorities on a number of occasions previously, he told councillors everyone deserved a “chance”.

However, the committee decided to revoke the bar's licence.

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