Dudley nightclub allowed to open until 6am
A nightclub in Stourbridge has been allowed to extend its opening hours to 6am despite objections from police, neighbours and councillors.
The Stourbridge Academy, in Hagley Road, will now be able to stay open later on certain nights.
It comes after licensing bosses decided the venue was run well enough that it wouldn't pose a risk to its cumulative impact policy.
Prior to the decision being made, Dudley Council had received objections from West Midlands Police, local residents and councillors concerned that extending the hours could lead to trouble.
The club currently stays open until 4am on certain nights.
A licensing sub-committee chaired by Councillor Jackie Cowell on Tuesday resulted in the new hours being approved, with restrictions imposed that last entry would be at 3am and West Midlands Police would be given 14 days notice before any event expected to go on until the new cut off time.
Speaking on behalf of the management, barrister Sarah Clover, said: "These new hours simply provide flexibility for the management to be able to run events until later, it is not something they will be doing seven days a week."
During the meeting, West Midlands Police licensing officer Amanda Baldwin spoke of previously recorded crime incidents at the venue.
She said that since 2014, the Stourbridge Academy appeared on 35 police logs, but the majority of these incidents were either false alarms or not directly related to the venue.
Councillor Nic Barlow had originally opposed the plans, claiming 6am would be a 'ridiculous time' for the club to be staying open and selling alcohol to the public.
However, after the meeting, the Stourbridge councillor said he felt 'reassured' that the new opening times would not be a problem.
