Smethwick restaurant facing grilling over fire safety concerns
A restaurant will have to face a grilling from council licensors after the fire service raised concerns about the venue’s safety measures.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Gold Koast Restaurant in Cape Hill, Smethwick, applied to Sandwell Council for a licence to sell alcohol earlier this year but will be questioned over its fire safety measures after objections were raised by West Midlands Fire Service.
Fire safety officers visited the Cape Hill restaurant only to find fire alarms were ‘inadequate’ and escape routes at the restaurant ‘unsuitable.’
In its objection, West Midlands Fire Service said the fire separation between the ground and first floors was “inadequate” and there was not a suitable permanent fire detection and alarm system between the restaurant and the above flats.
The fire service added that the proposed fire escape route was “unsuitable” as it ran through the kitchen and was too long.
Emergency lighting and the restaurant’s fire alarms were “not suitably maintained and tested” and there was no emergency plan of fire risk assessment.
The restaurant’s artificial plants were also flammable and a fire hazard, the fire service said.
Sandwell Council’s licensing subcommittee meets on April 24 to make a decision on the application.
The restaurant has been registered at the Cape Hill address with Leeds-based Frank Anane and Ransford Kwasi Nuer as directors since June 2023 according to Companies House.
The register of companies also shows the restaurant’s accounts are overdue from February and there is currently an active proposal to ‘strike off’ – which means the company is about to be dissolved.
The West African restaurant opened in December 2023. It was given a ‘generally satisfactory’ three-star hygiene rating by the Food Standards Agency following an inspection in September last year.
