Scandal hit Brentwood Nightclub faces uncertain future
bloc40, has been .at the centre of numerous police investigations
The future of an Essex nightclub has been thrown into question after a third review of its premises license was held on August 30.
Brentwood’s bloc40, a former snooker hall, has been .at the centre of numerous police investigations following multiple violent incidents at the venue.
The latest is a mass brawl that police claim involved approximately 60 youths and was attended by 11 separate police units following a private-hire 14th birthday party on June 16. Following the incident Brentwood Borough Council agreed to review the club’s premises license for the third time since 2016.
Simon Barnes, a senior licensing officer for Essex Police, told the council that there had been delays to the license holder, Ahmet Melin, surrendering bloc40’s Security Industry Authority (SIA) register and CCTV footage of the June 16 incident to the police after these were requested.
Representing Melin at the sub-committee meeting, Councillor David Dadds JP (Con., Billericay East) asked: “Are you hoping to throw enough mud to watch some of it stick?”
Cllr Dadds criticised the inclusion of incident reports from untested sources (meaning that reliability cannot be assumed) at the premises in the police bundle which was presented to the council.
He said: “I am somewhat concerned about the approach of the licensing sub-committee.”
Simon Barnes and licensing officer Dave Leonard suggested that the delays in Melin supplying the venue’s SIA-registration and CCTV footage, as well as his non-attendance of various Pubwatch meetings made sharing information “difficult”.
Cllr Dadds responded claiming Essex Police and Brentwood Council were to blame for any perceived miscommunication.
He said: “If the licensing authority wanted to communicate, we’ve made it very clear that they can do so directly.”
Mr Leonard said: “This is the third review of a single premises license.
“In 25 years of being involved in licensing, I have never even been involved in two reviews of the same license.
“Has the applicant learned anything?… What can we possibly do to ask this person to comply with the conditions of their license?
“This cannot go on.”
Local resident Dr Sasha Millwood also addressed the sub-committee, upholding complaints he had made about the club being a noise nuisance.
He said amplified music and voices emanating from bloc40 can often be heard within his property well past the venue’s official 2.30 am closing time.
Dr Millwood also made comments addressing the high number of violent and criminal incidents at the club over the last few years, saying that bloc40 had a “persistent track record of failure to comply with its licensing obligations on multiple fronts, despite being afforded multiple opportunities to rectify this”.
“The council has shown incredible forbearance to bloc40 in allowing it multiple second chances,” he said.
Referring to the fatal October 2021 stabbings of two 16-year-olds in Brentwood High Street, and noting the scene of the tragedy’s close proximity to the club, Dr Millwood said: “It gives me great concern that… we seem to be waiting for something similar to happen again before taking decisive action.”
bloc40’s prospects were first threatened in May 2021 after a double stabbing at the premises led to two men in their twenties suffering non-life-threatening injuries. However, the council took the decision not to revoke the establishment’s license at the time.
Most recently, an addendum attached to the license review documentation by Essex Police describes an incident that occurred at the venue on July 23.
According to the report, an attendee of a white shirt event at bloc40 was first threatened, then subsequently hit by a car in a hit-and-run attack.
A criminal investigation into the incident is ongoing, and a request from Essex Police for CCTV footage from that evening was sent to license holder Mr Melin on August 2.
Councillors will make a decision on whether to suspend, amend or revoke bloc40’s license over the coming days.