Casa Brighouse: Calderdale venue allowed to open until 3am for event despite concerns including customers 'urinating in residents' gardens'

Licensing councillors have approved a temporary event notice for Casa Brighouse, on Elland Road in Brighouse, stretching the time the ticket-only session for around 300 people can be held at until 3am.

However, the approval is subject to designated premises supervisor Jack McDaid and his team working with Calderdale Council’s environmental health team on a noise management plan for the event.

Calderdale Council’s licensing sub-committee heard there was no issue with the event on Saturday, March 30 – specifically its alcohol and recorded music licensed hours – running until 2am as the venue’s regular licence covered these.

But environmental health officers had opposed the extension application on licensing grounds of nuisance and public safety.

In particular, they were worried the extra hour would in effect see people leaving further into the morning’s early hours on Easter Sunday.

Mr McDaid explained the reason for applying for the extra hour was so to create a “staggered exit” for people leaving the event, envisaging DJs would stop at 2am.

If the extension was not granted, it could run until its licensed hours anyway but the temporary event notice had been applied for after talking through things with licensing.

The aim was to minimise any noise and disruption, he said.

Amid detailed questioning from councillors, Mr McDaid’s team outlined security and noise limitation equipment details which would be in operation.

Environmental health officers said they were concerned the extra hour would add to possible disturbance, with people leaving by taxis and other means, as well as potential noise levels from the event itself.

In their submitted objection they also referenced an “ongoing concern” regarding sewerage issues at the venue, which hit headlines last year, and an incident last summer where an individual had sustained injuries.

Residents had also described to the council’s community protection teams concerns about nuisance parking, noise disturbance and “patrons urinating in their gardens”, environmental health officers said in their written objection.

But officers also told councillors they understood Mr McDaid had done the work to resolve the sewerage issues with foul water now going into the sewer.

West Yorkshire Police said they did not object to the application and, referring to the injury incident last year, police licensing officer Matthew Dalton told the hearing: “We are prepared to give the opportunity to show on this occasion that lessons have been learnt from last year.”

Mr McDaid said the sewerage issues emanated from a collapsed manhole which was not on Casa land and had now been relocated onto Casa’s land, with reinstatement work and fencing.

Patrons’ safety was the major aim of the extension proposal and he was happy to work with environmental health to achieve this, he said.

The event on Saturday, March 30 is called Casa Cabana and will feature DJ Danny Bond.

For more information, visit Case Brighouse’s social media pages.