Car meet postponed by Wolverhampton bar after council's concern over safety

The Garden Bar on Birmingham New Road announced it would host the event on Bank Holiday Monday, May 1.

However, the bar has postponed the car meet after Wolverhampton Council's Safety Advisory Group told the owners of the bar that it was unable to support the event.

The advisory group issued warnings over the event not being ticketed, lack of medical cover, and no arrangement for the required level of event insurance.

The council also said the bar had failed to put traffic management arrangements in place and feared the event could lead to people street racing, which is currently banned in the Black Country by an interim High Court injunction.

A spokesperson for Wolverhampton Council said: "Following a meeting of Wolverhampton's Public Events Safety Advisory Group, the chair of the group has written to the owners of The Garden Bar to recommend that its planned car meet on Bank Holiday Monday, 1 May, 2023, does not take place.

"The Safety Advisory Group's overriding concern is public safety and its recommendations are necessary to protect the public.

"The group raised a number of concerns about the planned event, including the fact that the event is not ticketed, and therefore attendance numbers cannot be controlled, that there will not be the necessary level of medical cover at the event and that the required level of event insurance has not been arranged.

"No traffic management arrangements have been put in place and serious concerns were raised about the potential impact the event could have on the local road network.

"There were also concerns that an event of this nature may lead to people breaching the interim High Court injunction, which bans street racing, also known as car cruising, in the Black Country; we are aware that the police have already spoken to the venue about this.

“Because of these issues, the Safety Advisory Group is unable to support the event and has recommended that it does not take place.

"It has reminded the organisers that they have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of attendees at their event and will be liable should they choose to go ahead."

The event has now been postponed by the team The Garden Bar "until further notice" and have thanked local authorities for their assistance in organising the event.

Owner and manager of the bar, Jas Singh, told the Express & Star: "Due to the short notice of organising the event, the static car meet has been postponed until further notice.

"We would like to thank the local council, police, fire brigade, in assisting us in organising the event in the future and would also like to reach out to Ed Bridgewood from Lanesfield Methodist Church for reaching out to us and letting us use their car park facilities on the day of the proposed event.

"We look forward to working alongside with the Church in organising future events for the local community."

Mr Singh had previously told the Express & Star that the event was "family friendly" and that staff would ask any drivers revving their engines or racing to leave immediately.

The car meet attracted controversy when it was advertised, due to fears it could escalate into a dangerous car race.

Damian Corfield, whose 19-year-old son Ben was killed last year when a driver crashed into people at a street racing event in Oldbury, called the event "reckless".

Mr Corfield said: "I don't think it's responsible at all. It's reckless.

"With the personal blow of losing my son and the Black Country wide-campaign to stop this and eradicate car cruising culture, I think it should be boycotted.

"As a family, we're actively campaigning for safer roads to save other families from going through what we have gone through."

Wolverhampton Council has asked that anyone planning large scale events in the city communicates with the Safety Advisory Group three months before the event is due to be held.

A spokesman for the council said: "The Safety Advisory Group welcomes the opportunity to engage with businesses and wants to increase the number and diversity of events which occur in the city, to make it a vibrant place for residents and visitors.

"We ask that anyone planning large scale events engages with the group at least three months before the event is due to be held so that the appropriate planning support can be provided."