August 24, 2009

BNP rally hotel licence revoked

A Blackpool hotel which plays host to the annual BNP conference has had its entertainment and alcohol licence revoked.

The New Kimberley on South Promenade was brought before Blackpool Council's licensing panel for posing a risk to public safety, and failing to comply with health and safety notices.

The hotel caused public outcry after hosting three of the far-right BNP conferences since 2006, as well as this summer's "celebration event" after two party members were elected to the European Parliament in May.

New Kimberley manager Peter Metcalfe, who was fined £1,000 for nine offences of breaching food hygiene safety rules last year, was issued with two enforcement notices from Lancashire Fire and Rescue, which found the hotel to had inadequate fire safety standards. And Blackpool Council officers had visited the 50-bedroomed hotel on numerous occasions, issuing a hygiene improvement notice in October.

At Friday's meeting, Gareth Shaw, spokesman for Blackpool Council's Health and Safety Enforcement Section, said: "We have had many unpleasant dealings with the people responsible for the New Kimberley. We issued a hygiene improvement notice in October after customer complaints since 2006. We also requested the hotel produce a certificate proving there was no asbestos risk on the premises, and that regular testing of electrical equipment took place."

The hotel was sent a letter demanding action on April 22, but on June 10 the council was forced to issue court proceedings. Management was fined £525 for seven offences of failing to comply with health and safety notices.

Mr Shaw added: "We've since visited, but Mr Metcalfe has become very aggressive and we have seen no efforts made to improve health and safety."

The fire service's enforcement notices to the hotel, whose leaseholder is Susan Metcalfe, also demanded that smoke detectors should be fitted, and that designated fire exits should be identified. These requests were ignored, said fire chiefs.

Paul Roper, spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue, said: "I've little confidence the managers of this hotel will ever comply with health and safety laws. We've been extremely accommodating with Mr and Mrs Metcalfe. We granted an extension when our enforcement notice, issued in July 2007, ran out, as Mr Metcalfe said the ownership of the hotel had changed hands, and now belonged to a Mr John Donut, of South Shore Travel.

"We've tried to get hold of this man, but we've never been able to, and therefore we have reason to doubt his existence. The managers of this hotel have continually failed to meet any safety standards and therefore we support the council in their call for a review of the licence."

David Kelly, spokesman and "designated fire safety officer" for the New Kimberly, said: "We have tens of thousands of visitors every year, and we have never had any problems. I know everything has been dealt with on an ad hoc basis, but we have had many problems and I'm determined to sort them out.

"I've never met Mr Donut, but I believe he had some financial input and then moved to Indonesia, and he ceased to own the hotel from August this year. We have also had firebomb threats because of the BNP conference, so we have been distracted. We have recently installed a £35,000 fire alarm system, and under my guidance Mr and Mrs Metcalfe will run a pristinely clean, safe hotel that will be among the best in Blackpool."

Mr Kelly claimed the council had taken action against the hotel due to its hosting of the BNP conference. The council denied the claim.

The hotel will have 21 days to appeal against the decision, after which time it will no longer be able to sell alcohol, or provide entertainment .

Blackpool Gazette

See also Grimy BNP-link hotel 'a hazard to humans'

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

hahahaha!. John Donut !

Maybe the BNP can find a host for their Rallies in Southport, or Morecambe.

Brummie said...

HAHAHAHA!!!

Maybe the BNP can find a host for their Rallies in Southport, or Morecambe

The way things are going Llanerfyl will be the only place that'll be able to hold any rallies!

Barbara said...

Any idiot knows the owner is really Duncan Donut.

Anonymous said...

It just gets better and better doesn't it? It seems like everythings's going against them at the mo! HA!!!

Anonymous said...

Or Indonesia, with the other donuts!

Seriously though, doesn't this give you an insight into the type of people who support the BNP? These scumbags are happy to put the safety and lives of their decent customers at risk rather than take basic fire and safety precautions.

I'm not including the annual paedofest in that of course, they can burn for all I care.

Antifascist said...

A Companies House check shows this:

SOUTH SHORE TRAVEL LIMITED
THE NEW KIMBERLEY HOTEL
585-589 NEW SOUTH PROMENADE
BLACKPOOL
UNITED KINGDOM
FY4 1NQ
Company No. 06632592

Date of Incorporation: 27/06/2008

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Company Type: Private Limited Company
Nature of Business (SIC(03)):
Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)
Next Accounts Due: 27/03/2010
Next Return Due: 25/07/2009 OVERDUE

Just over a year in existence and already the accounts are overdue. No mention of a Mr Donut though.

Anonymous said...

Accounts overdue? John Donut wouldn't be Nick Griffin by any chance, would he? He looks like a doughnut from some angles.

Anonymous said...

So does this mean they can no longer operate or they CAN operate but the shitbags will have to take their own booze?

Anonymous said...

"So does this mean they can no longer operate or they CAN operate but the shitbags will have to take their own booze?"

Good question.

eric the fish said...

Made my day!Obviously advertising on the sad British Pages does wonders!

I did manage to get a review of the hotel on a hotel search site but it was deleted after afew weeks. Merely pointed out the tyype of people you would be likely to encounter.

Maybe The ace of diamonds for the next conference; they have a telephone box nearby.

Anonymous said...

Party of law-and-order? Hahaha!!!

Perhaps the local authorities would like to carry out an investigation into the sexual assault on two minors committed by two BNP members last year as well? Or perhaps the silence will be broken by some of fellow members...

Anonymous said...

with less than 500 bnp at the rwb they could hold the conference in any garden shed lol

iliacus said...

Mr Kelly :

"We have never had any problems ..... we have had lots of problems".

???????????????????

Typical BNP nonsense.

And where are the Accounts?

Anonymous said...

This is the world's leading hotel review site. It's called tripadvisor.com.

This shithole gets mainly terrible reviews - surprise, surprise!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186332-d659179-Reviews-Kimberly_Hotel-Blackpool_Lancashire_England.html

Anonymous said...

Can't they just put up a tent on the Welsh farm? The members appear to have paid for it should they not get to enjoy the use thereof?

jon said...

Funny how everywhere the BNP thugs choose to hang out, loses its entertainment and alcohol licenses.

Anonymous said...

I bet they try to circumvent the ban with piped music, but without the ents license, they are allowed to play didley squat.

Hope people passing by try to listen for illicit music coming from the hotel, then the council can come down on them like a ton of bricks!