The future of Kotoburaba, a new Ghanaian restaurant in Claremont Road, Cape Hill, Smethwick, is set to be determined at an upcoming licensing hearing following objections from regional emergency services.
Sandwell Council’s licensing committee will review the premises license application submitted by Dorcas Enstie. Both West Midlands Police and West Midlands Fire Service have raised concerns, though specific details of their objections have been redacted from public documents.
Scheduled for February 10, the committee’s decision carries significant weight for the establishment, which opened on Christmas Eve last year, according to its social media channels.
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A council report ahead of the hearing highlighted that objections focus on potential risks to key licensing objectives, including the prevention of crime and disorder, ensuring public safety, preventing public nuisance, and protecting children from harm.
West Midlands Police have requested the restaurant’s closing time be moved forward from the proposed midnight to 10 p.m. Additionally, the police have urged the removal of live and recorded music from the license to prevent the venue from operating like a late-night bar. They indicated that low-level background music, which does not require licensing, would be acceptable.
Further conditions proposed by the police include a ban on vertical drinking and ensuring that all alcohol sales are ancillary to food purchases.
Meanwhile, West Midlands Fire Service, while having discussed concerns with the restaurant owner, has yet to formally withdraw its objection.
The licensing committee’s decision will determine whether Kotoburaba can continue to operate under the terms requested or with modified conditions aimed at addressing safety and public order concerns.