Blackpool hotelier seeking new licence after fire risk closure

Alan Diamond, who was punished after failing to comply with fire safety rules and putting guests at risk, is seeking a new premises licence for the Coastal Bay Hotel on the Promenade, which previously traded as the Cornhill Hotel.

Mr Diamond was stripped of the licence for the 36-bedroom Cornhill in January 2019 by a council licensing panel after statutory improvement notices were ignored.

Health and safety chiefs had been alerted to the dangers by complaints from guests who had stayed at the hotel.

In June 2020 Mr Diamond was given a nine month jail sentence suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to seven charges, with five others lying on the file, including flouting a prohibition notice ordering him to close the hotel until fire improvements had been made.

The court heard fire alarms had been turned off, fire doors were missing and escape routes were blocked.

Mr Diamond is now seeking a premises licence for the Coastal BayHotel including to serve alcohol from 10am until 5am daily, and to serve late night refreshment until 5am daily.

The council's licensing service has objected to the application but a licensing hearing held on Tuesday September 13 deferred making a decision after documents were submitted saying improvements had been carried out but some work is still outstanding.

Improvements set out in documents submitted to the council include strips and seals installed on all doors, all electrics updated, combustibles removed from escape routes, emergency lighting fitted and the fire alarm has been rewired.

All fire extinguishers have been regularly serviced and rubbish has been removed from various locations including the dining room and back yard.

A report to the hearing by Lee Petrak, trading standards and licensing manager at the council, says: "The issues leading to the review in 2019 related to a series of statutory notices served on Mr Diamond due to serious failures on his part to maintain his premises to a safe standard.

"This included up to 10 statutory improvement notices served by council officers and a prohibition notice served by the fire service."