Viper Rooms: council issues statement after repossessing Harrogate nightclub

North Yorkshire County Council has said it acted in the “best interests” of taxpayers after it repossessed Harrogate’s Viper Rooms.

Bailiffs acting on behalf of the council entered the Parliament Street nightclub on Friday and changed the locks.

Notices pinned to the doors said any attempt to re-enter the premises would result in criminal or civil proceedings.

It prompted the club to announce on social media, hours before it was due to open, that it had closed with the loss of 30 jobs.

The venue, which was Harrogate’s last remaining nightclub, is part of the Royal Baths commercial investment portfolio acquired by the council for £9 million in 2018.

Viper Rooms

The club is part of the Royal Baths.

Gary Fielding, corporate director for strategic resources at the council, said in a statement to the Stray Ferret:

“We are unable to discuss details about specific cases that North Yorkshire County Council is involved in.

“However, we will pursue our policies that protect the best interests of North Yorkshire’s taxpayers, and will therefore act accordingly.”

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The council has been under pressure to generate better returns on the Baths.

It was described as an “underperforming trophy asset” by one councillor last year because of its low rate of investment returns.

Last month the council warned it would take a tougher line on tenants following further poor investment returns.

Mr Fielding said the council “has done all it reasonably can to support its tenants” through covid, adding:

“We work with our tenants to understand their circumstances in order to maximise the income into the council.

“However, it is not the council’s responsibility to support tenants indefinitely, and if businesses are not sustainable then we work with tenants to bring tenancies to a close.”

 

 

 

Harrogate nightclub Viper Rooms closes suddenly

Harrogate’s only nightclub the Viper Rooms has announced its sudden closure tonight.

The Viper Room’s owner, Paul Kinsey, said the landlord had taken possession of the venue after they failed to negotiate a new lease.

Around 30 staff work at the venue and have lost their jobs, while all Christmas parties booked will be unable to go ahead.

The following announcement was posted on social media this evening:

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the immediate closure of the Viper Rooms after 15 years.

“Having tried for nearly 3 years to negotiate a new lease with our landlord in good faith and after spending £350,000 refurbishing the club in 2019 they have taken possession of the site.

“We would like to thank all of our loyal team members and entertainers who have entertained the town since 2007.”

The post went onto say that Mr Kinsey would release a “new venue announcement soon”.

This is a breaking news story.

Woman who headbutted Harrogate nightclub manager spared jail

A woman who headbutted a nightclub manager, busting her nose open, has been spared jail.

Jodie Milburn, 19, butted the victim with such force that blood “soaked” the wall outside the Viper Rooms in Harrogate town centre, prosecutor Eleanor Durdy told York Crown Court.

CCTV captured the moment Milburn repeatedly slapped the named woman, who was assistant manager at the popular nightclub, situated in the Grade II-listed Royal Baths building in Parliament Street.

With her arms restrained, Milburn, of Mayfield Grove, Harrogate, then head-butted the victim who was bleeding profusely.

Ms Durdy described the drunken attack, on August 15 last year, as “prolonged and persistent”.

A witness said there was “lots of blood, so much so that the blue wall was soaked in it”.

The victim’s clothes were also covered in blood and she was said to be “stunned”.

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Milburn set upon the manager after what she claimed was an incident inside the club involving a man and one of her family members, but this “wasn’t supported by the evidence”, the court heard. 

It was initially suspected that the victim’s nose was broken but this didn’t prove to be the case. 

Milburn was arrested and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm but denied the offence. 

A jury found her guilty following a trial earlier this month.

She appeared for sentence yesterday when her barrister Andrew Stranex said that an immediate jail sentence would scupper her hopes of working abroad.

He said she had a troubled upbringing but had done well at college, had good references from her employer and had a new job lined up overseas.

‘Disgraceful piece of behaviour’

Judge Simon Hickey described the attack as a “disgraceful piece of behaviour”.

He told Milburn: 

“What you did…was throw your head back when (the victim) was simply doing her public duty…and head-butted her on her nose. 

“She reeled backwards and blood poured out of her nose and onto her clothing. A witness said (the victim) was stunned and remained stunned for quite some time. It was a nasty injury (and) you were clearly in drink.”

However, Mr Hickey said the incident was “clearly out of character” and Milburn had “strong personal mitigation” including good character reports.

The judge said that for those reasons, he would not be locking her up and preventing her taking up her new job abroad.

Instead, Milburn was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay the victim £1,000 compensation “for the hurt and the pain” caused to her.

Harrogate’s Royal Baths: the council’s under-performing ‘trophy investment’

An investigation by the Stray Ferret has revealed that Harrogate’s Royal Baths have massively under-performed as a commercial investment since they were bought by North Yorkshire County Council in 2018.

The council bought the Grade II listed building for £9 million in 2018 as part of a wider strategy to become more entrepreneurial to plug its declining budget from central government.

But the Baths have only generated about a third of the income expected, raising questions about the wisdom of the decision to buy it, as well as whether the council has the necessary business acumen to invest taxpayers’ money in such schemes.

The council was accused of making a “trophy investment” last month when one councillor said he was “absolutely’ speechless” by the £9 million sum paid for the Baths.

It has now emerged that rental income is way down on what was predicted in a confidential report to councillors before they agreed to buy it.

Prepared to pay £10m

The report, which has now been made public, reveals the council was prepared to pay up to £10 million for the Baths, which included four commercial units.

At the time, they were J D Wetherspoon, The Potting Shed bar, the Viper Rooms nightclub and Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant. The Potting Shed subsequently closed.

The report forecast the Baths would generate annual income of £500,940.

But gross income received in the three years since then was just £613,000 — way down on the £1.5 million expected. The council has also incurred maintenance and other costs of £222,000 on the Baths to the end of March 2021, further reducing the income figure to £391,000.

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Philip Broadbank

Philip Broadbank

Councillor Philip Broadbank, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harrogate Starbeck on the county council, said

“The price for the Royal Baths investment seems to be high and the rate of return has been very disappointing and needs to improve.

“The Royal Baths complex is in a central position in Harrogate town centre but margins need to improve quickly for council taxpayers to see some financial benefits. It is vital that all the units are let and fully operational and officers need to ensure that happens soon to help the local economy.

“The periods of closure have been significant and challenging and the poor rates of return need to be substantially improved if taxpayers are to have confidence that the investment policies are to work satisfactorily financially.”

‘It will end in tears’

The council has not been helped by lockdowns, which have affected all three surviving businesses. The Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant remains closed but plans to re-open this year.

Stuart Parsons

Stuart Parsons

Nevertheless, Councillor Stuart Parsons, who represents Richmond and is the Independents group leader at the county council, said the financial performance of the Baths was worrying and predicted the council’s attempts to generate income in new ways would “end in tears”. He said:

“There’s always that belief in local government that they have expertise and can deliver anything but they are experts at delivering services rather than property projects.”

He said the council had been “absolutely strapped for cash by central government for 11 years” and was being encouraged by ministers to find new sources of income to “shore up shortfalls”. But he added:

“We have seen a number of councils fail because they have taken on projects like renewable energy and are unable to deliver them.

“They will try their hardest in North Yorkshire but they don’t have the necessary expertise to drive things forward. This will be one of the black marks against the Conservative government. It will end in tears.

“Councils should not be trading. They should be providing services, not building houses or power plants. If they had kept the £9m it could have been used to help people in desperate need in social care.”

Cllr Parsons added it was concerning that major spending decisions involving taxpayers’ money were being made on the basis of such inaccurate forecasts.

“If they are basing their finances on estimates that are unsound then something seriously needs to change.”

North Yorkshire County Council offices in Northallerton.

Councillor Gareth Dadd, deputy leader of the Conservatives on the county council, has been one of the key supporters of the Baths investment.

The Stray Ferret sent him some questions but he did not reply.

‘Better than treasury returns’

A council spokesman said it received legal advice and a surveyor’s report and undertook comparative market analysis to support the business case and necessary due diligence before buying the lease on the Baths from M&G Property Portfolio.

He added the investment “continues to stand up against the alternative investment opportunities where cash returns amounted to an average return of 0.19% p.a. at Quarter 2 21/22”.

Gross income received to the end of 20/21 was £613,000 and standard treasury returns would have generated £152,000, the spokesman added, and therefore the investment “has realised £461,000 of additional benefit to the council and its taxpayer when compared to our standard treasury returns”.

He added covid and lockdowns had had a significant impact since the Baths were bought in 2018.

“Our tenants, in the hospitality sector, have been significantly impacted by the pandemic with extended periods of enforced closure during 2020 and 2021. We are working with them to reach reasonable terms on recovery of arrears where possible.

“National regulations in force until late March 2022 prevent us from evicting tenants that have fallen into arrears as a result of covid.

“All retail and hospitality suffered significant periods of closure and financial challenge throughout the pandemic. The Harrogate Royal Baths is a local asset and we remain confident that Harrogate and the Royal Baths itself will recover from the pandemic and continue to contribute to the Harrogate and North Yorkshire local economy.

Besides the four commercial units, the purchase of the Baths also included two further units held on long-leases by Harrogate Borough Council at a peppercorn rent occupied by the tourist information centre and the Turkish Baths, as well as two car parks similarly let on long leases at nominal rents.

The council set up the Brierley Group of firms, ranging from house builders to lawyers, in 2017 to bring together council-owned companies and find new ways of making money. However, last year it reported a loss of £639,000.

Further losses are forecast for the current financial year.

The council warned last month it faces “enormous financial pressures” and needed to find £19 million in savings.

 

 

 

Viper Rooms bids to extend weekend opening hours until 6.30am

The Viper Rooms nightclub on Parliament Street has applied to Harrogate Borough Council to extend its opening hours on Friday and Saturday nights until 6.30am.

Harrogate’s only nightclub reopened in July after being closed due to covid restrictions since March last year, except for one night on Halloween last year.

It currently serves alcohol until 4am and closes at 4.30am. The application seeks to extend both by two hours.

Owner Paul Kinsey told the Stray Ferret the nightclub is still busy at 4am, so closing later would stop revellers leaving the club all at once. He added there was also a demand from customers to stay out later.

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Mr Kinsey said:

“Since reopening we have monitored customer trends closely and we have seen that we are still very busy at 4am.

“Therefore to have a more orderly dispersal of customers and not move several hundred people onto the streets at one time. It’s more sensible to trade later and allow a staggered dispersal of customers as well as catering for customer demand for a later finish to their night.

“We have trialled the later closing hours in recent weeks and it has gone without any issues at all.

“It’s not our intention to trade every night until 6am. it’s just having the permission to do so if needed.”

Vaccine passports for nightclubs ‘impractical’, says Viper Rooms boss

The owner of Harrogate’s only nightclub The Viper Rooms has called the use of vaccine passports in nightclubs “impractical” ahead of reopening next Monday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a Downing Street press conference yesterday that the government was now urging nightclubs to ask revellers to show the NHS covid pass app on entry, which shows proof of a vaccination or a recent negative test. However, it will be voluntary. 

Mr Kinsey told the Stray Ferret it was a “contradiction and hypocrisy” to add further requirements to nightclubs, especially after the scenes of football fans embracing each other at bars and pubs throughout the Euro 2020 tournament.

He said the Viper Rooms, on Parliament Street, will be following whatever guidance is suggested by the government but that many customers “can’t see the logic” of restrictions at nightclubs, particularly as some will have come from bars where all restrictions will have been lifted.

He said:

“We can’t enforce a law that doesn’t exist. It will be up to people to use their own judgement when visiting the club.

“The majority of 18-year-olds won’t have been double jabbed. Vaccine passports are impractical.”

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“Hospital cases may be rising but it’s overwhelmingly people who haven’t been double vaccinated, are older or who have refused vaccines.

“This virus will be present in society. All we can do is manage the game that’s in front of us.”

The Viper Rooms will reopen on Monday with a ‘Covid-19 leaving drinks’ party from 10pm.

It’s offering free entry and free table reservations to all restaurant, hotel and bar workers in Harrogate.

Viper Rooms owner: Young people in Harrogate can ‘celebrate life’ again

The owner of Harrogate’s only nightclub, The Viper Rooms, has welcomed the government’s announcement that nightclubs will finally be able to reopen on July 19 without masks or social distancing.

Paul Kinsey told the Stray Ferret that he is looking forward to reopening but added he was still skeptical that the reopening plans won’t be delayed again.

He also sympathised with young people in Harrogate who he believes have suffered over the past 18 months and said having a nightclub again will give them a chance to “celebrate life” again.

He said:

“I think it’s a great outcome if it actually goes ahead.”

“It allows all of the 18 to 25-year-olds who have suffered the most in terms of lost education, lost jobs and lost leisure the opportunity to do what they love most….celebrate life!!”

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The club has been one of the hardest-hit businesses in Harrogate since the covid pandemic hit. It’s been closed indefinitely since March 2020, except for one night on Halloween.

Mr Kinsey was looking forward to reopening on June 21 until the government decided to delay the easing of lockdown restrictions for another month.

It meant the nightclub had to put its plans on ice.

He called on the government to offer a package of financial support to the nightlife sector in a previous Stray Ferret article.

A covid-19 leaving drinks party will now take place on July 19 at 10pm.

Harrogate nightclub owner: ‘Government wants to kill us off’

The owner of Harrogate nightclub The Viper Rooms has criticised the government as the June 21 removal of social distancing looks set to be delayed by up to a month.

Perhaps no business in Harrogate has been hit harder than the town’s last surviving nightclub. It’s been closed indefinitely since March 2020, except for one night on Halloween.

The club has a ‘Covid-19 leaving drinks’ night planned for June 21 but media reports suggest prime minister Boris Johnson will throw cold water on the celebration when he makes his announcement later day.

Paul Kinsey told the Stray Ferret that delaying the date will be a blow for his staff and the town’s young people who have missed out on the social experience of clubbing.

“The government has no interest in whether we survive. It wants to kill off late nights”.

Major trouble

An empty Viper Rooms dancefloor

Mr Kinsey first opened Moko Lounge in 2005 followed by the Viper Rooms in 2007 and Kings Club in 2009.

He’s seen many venues come and go in the town over the years and covid meant Vipers could have been next. He estimates the shutdown has cost him almost a million pounds and said the government has offered little financial assistance to the sector.

“We employed over 200 people across the company but we laid off everybody except 16 people.

“If we hadn’t done that we’d be in major trouble.

“It’s horrible”.

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Mr Kinsey said the way the government has treated young people during the pandemic has been “cruel”.

He’s rehired almost a full team ready for June 21 but a delay would mean a nervous wait for staff.

“I’ve been around a long time so I’m sanguine about the reality. But kids who work with us have anxiety, are they going to have a job?

“These people have done nothing wrong. I can’t give them certainty or even hope.

“A lot of these guys have young families.

“By definition we’re social animals, but that’s drained away over the last 15 months.”

Viper Rooms had a £400,000 refurb 12 weeks before covid hit.

Yesterday, with press speculation that reopening could be delayed by four weeks, Mr Kinsey tweeted:

If nightclubs have to stay shut on June 21st,we must demand that the govt pay the costs we have incurred preparing for another false start. We have had no £ support, so what do I do with the 200 staff I’ve just employed who aren’t eligible for furlough?? @bbclaurak @KayBurley

— paul kinsey (@paulkin36224449) June 12, 2021

Mr Kinsey said masks and social distancing are contrary to the ethos of a nightclub and he will feel emotional when he finally sees Vipers packed with revellers — dancing and embracing each other again.

“It will emotional and exciting. It’s why we do it.”