Demolish "problem" Wolverhampton pub say, angry residents

Licence review for venue caught serving alcohol to customers during the lockdown.

Angry residents call for a 'problem' pub in Wolverhampton to be shut down and demolished after telling council bosses they have had enough of constant late-night noise and repeated anti-social behaviour. The Pendulum in Blaydon Road, Pendeford, is due to have its licence reviewed by the council next week.

The pub lost its licence in May 2020 after police caught people drinking alcohol inside at the height of the Covid lockdown. However, fed-up neighbours have now appealed to licensing chiefs to close the premises for good, knock it down and use the site for a different purpose.

After applying for a new licence, the pub was allowed to reopen subject to several conditions - one of which was that earlier supervisor Soran Rostam was not involved in running the business. At the time, Gary Grant - solicitor for West Midlands Police - said that allowing Mr Rostam to continue as a licensee would be "like leaving Ronnie Biggs in charge of Network Rail.”

Police chiefs have applied for the current review after reports that the venue in the Oxley ward was not upholding licensing aims and was being used to ease serious crime. During a February visit, officers found three males living at the pub working illegally this year. The premises also runs a car wash in the car park.

Pub boss Mr Mohammed Khalil Ali told police he was only at the premises for around two hours a week. When questioned further, he referred to this as being at the car wash, not the pub. A police spokesperson said: "Mr Ali confirmed that he runs the car wash and is the premises license holder for the pub. It is uncertain who runs these premises and whether it is Mr Ali.

"The inconsistency in his accounts causes concern. There are ongoing criminal investigations relating to these offences; therefore, we cannot disclose any further details."

In a letter to the council, one neighbour who did not wish to be named said: "I strongly oppose issuing a licence to this pub. Indeed, I support the removal of the existing right permanently. I and some of my neighbours have had cause to make official complaints against this pub numerous times - the biggest being the problems with the noise they constantly cause.

"They don't care about the nuisance they make of themselves. I am not against anyone trying to make a living, but - and it is a big but - not at the expense of the quality of life for those around them. The residents I have spoken to agree with me on what should be done - close the pub completely, evict whoever is living there, make a compulsory purchase order and then demolish it," added the letter.

Another resident wrote: "This establishment has had no concern for residents and has constantly caused a noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour problems over many years, meaning residents lose sleep. The noise goes on into the small hours of the morning, often continuing outside after the pub has shut. At the very least, the hours they are allowed to open in the evening need to be drastically reduced."

A further neighbour said: "When I first moved to the area, it was a well-run family-friendly pub. The opening hours were sensible, and the property owner respected the local community. This is quite different from the current situation. It appears that for many years, the pub has been run by property owners who do not care about the residents.

"If you mention the pub to local people, they don’t have a good word to say about it - and they are certainly not using it. The pub’s clientele is coming into the area from everywhere. And opening during the coronavirus pandemic when it was supposed to be closed proves the pub’s contempt for the law.

"Anti-social behaviour goes on outside the pub throughout opening hours and continues after the doors have closed, and it grinds you down," added the resident's email. "The car wash also creates noise nuisance during the day. The local community would be better served if the building and land were sold for more shops, a petrol station or housing."

Current premises licence holder Mr Ali has also written to the council asking for matters to be considered. "This is the first enterprise I have undertaken in respect of running licensed premises on my own. I have found that it has been exceedingly difficult to relaunch the pub after its extended closure and the present financial climate," he said.

"I would first like to apologise for the various matters in your officers' report dated March 22nd, 2022. I have addressed all the issues referred to and adopted all the relevant practices in the training manual. I have realised that I need help and aid in running the pub. In this respect, I have engaged a manager who will be tasked with specifically undertaking all the issues raised by the council.

"I invite you to consider all the matters referred to and to give me the benefit of the doubt so that I can operate a successful, profitable and safe environment for all community members who use the pub," he added.

Council bosses will discuss the licence review on June 8th.