THE owners of Carnglaze Caverns, the underground music venue which lost its licence say they are disappointed by the decision and are now taking professional advice.

A Cornwall Council licensing sub-committee made the decision to revoke the venue’s premises licence after Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service raised safety concerns.

The licence was removed despite protestations from Charlie Perkins, the son of the caverns’ owners Lisa and Tony Perkins, that the Health and Safety Executive regularly inspects the venue which has met all the safety goals set down by the HSE.

The Rum Store at Carnglaze Caverns, which is based at St Neot, has been run as a venue for over two decades and has one of the longest wedding aisles in Cornwall.

The tourist attraction was formerly a slate mine and now holds gigs and events in one of its rocky caverns, the Rum Store. The venue was due to stage concerts by well-known bands Wille and the Bandits and 3 Daft Monkeys later this year, but they are unlikely to happen unless the venue gets its licence back.

The fire service raised three areas of concern:

  • Travel distance for evacuation from the stage and seating area
  • The absence of an adequate fire warning and detection system
  • That escape routes are insufficient and the available exit capacity is inappropriate for the occupancy of 450 people.

They suggested the venue’s capacity should be reduced to just 60 people, which Mr Perkins said was untenable and would ruin the business.

The team at Carnglaze Caverns - which will remain open as a visitor attraction - has now issued a statement following the council’s decision. It reads: “Carnglaze Caverns is a long-established, family-run visitor attraction in South East Cornwall and has, over many years, hosted a wide range of community, educational and cultural activities alongside its core tourism offer.

“The venue has worked closely with relevant authorities and partners throughout its operation and remains committed to providing a safe and responsible environment for all visitors.

“The owners of Carnglaze Caverns are currently taking professional advice and are exploring their right to appeal the decision. During this process, they will continue to cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and follow the relevant legal procedures.”

Mr Perkins said at the meeting he had seen comment from the fire service that the HSE had not taken any further action regarding its safety concerns which is why it asked for the licence to be removed.

“The HSE is all over us – don’t worry about that,” he said. “We’re in constant discussion with them. They are a goal-orientated health and safety organisation – we have matched all those goals.”

He said the HSE carried out yearly checks and are visiting again next month to inspect the site. He added the HSE carries out smoke and fire simulations, undertakes thorough ventilation tests and carries out safety scans of the site.

A spokesperson for the fire service told the meeting: “Although the premises appears to have two exits, they are not adequately separated, meaning a single fire could render both exits unusable.”