Yardley nursery to turn into bar and restaurant due to pandemic

A former nursery worker wants to convert her business into a bar and restaurant after coronavirus made her business financially unviable. Venue 32, on Bilton Grange Road, Yardley, will become a new bar and restaurant serving drinks and alcohol from opening hours 10am to 10pm on week nights and until 11pm on weekends.

Sarah Marshall, the applicant, said: “I came to the horrible conclusion that my nursery [New Generation Day Care Limited] of 20 year wasn’t going to survive the financial impacts of COVID.

“We’re still responsible for the rent, and I now had no income. We tried a few months of children’s parties as it suits our large rooms, but it didn’t raise enough revenue.

“We did research in the area and found that a lot of people were missing a place to meet friends or a chance to socialise after a long time in isolation. A cafe in the area we thought would be popular, but we don’t want to risk losing out on options. With a business you worry of committing to something unless you think it will be viable.”

Ms Marshall said she has known her neighbours for 21 years, and said although she initially believed some of her neighbours would not approve of her idea, they are now “extremely supportive”.

“I couldn’t have been more wrong. Everyone is extremely supportive, even commenting that they miss the life the road used to have many years gone by.”

Has anyone objected to the Venue 32 application?

David Kennedy, licencing officer, said: “West Midlands Police, environmental health, and the applicants, believe they are sufficient to promote the licencing objectives, in particular the prevention of crime and disorder, and the prevention of public nuisance which also the conditions agreed are attached dependencies three and four respectively.”

But Jacqueline Hughes, senior planning officer at Birmingham city council, objected to Venue 32 citing public nuisance. In a letter received to the licensing committee, she wrote: “Firstly, the application site does not have planning permission to operate at the hours suggested.

“Additionally, due to the close relationship with residential properties, the proposal will cause a creation of a public nuisance as a result of increased noise and disturbance during unsociable hours in a residential location. It is further concerning that they wish to open till 1am on New Year given the quiet nature of the surrounding area.”

Seven signatures of support from local residents along Leabrook and Bilton Grange were received. Ms Marshall, dismissed Ms Hughes objections, adding: “The permission hasn’t been granted yet to operate those hours, that variation is with planning at the moment which will be a few more weeks I think.”

She said the licence should be granted as many of her neighbours are close friends who all support the venture. “I think lockdown has put the perception of the place been over and done with where it’s at the end of the day it is still a commercial property.

“Our only neighbour that’s attached to us on the ground floor at number 30 is more than on board with it. She’s a lovely lady friend of mine that has been happy being next door to the baby room. Which had 11 registered babies at one point in the room from 7:30am till 6:30pm. That can be reasonably noisy.

“If this business doesn’t work, I will lose a lot not only financially but I won’t continue to have my own business, or immediately employ nine local people, or buy produce from local businesses.

“If I ended up handing it back to my landlord […] it will be to turn it into a large HMO. I genuinely feel if this happens it will be a detrimental effect on the neighbourhood.”

A decision whether to grant the licence will be made public by Friday (August 26).

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