Hotel safety ‘inadequacy’

Press, 16 June 1979, Page 4

Hotel safety ‘inadequacy’

Concern about the inadequacy or neglect of firealarm systems, emergency lighting, " .and fire extinguishers in many hotels and other licensed premises was expressed yesterday by [the chairman, of the Canterbury Licensing Committee I (Mr F. G. Paterson, S.M.) at I the committee's annual (meeting, I Mr Paterson said a matter of concern again to the com(mittee was the fairly general (lack of public safety responIsibility in this area of the maintenance of premises and equipment. It was no use picking up a fire extinguisher when a fire had broken out, and; (finding it needed refuelling, (he said. He said most of the breaches in this regard would take little time to rectify. and the corffmittee proposed “tagging” the renewal of licences with these requirements. A further in-

spection of the premises concerned would be made by Fire Service officers before the quarterly meeting of the committee on September 14, to ensure the standards had been met. In other regards, however, the industry came in for some commendation! from the committee, and Mr Paterson said' it was pleasing to have a letter from the police expressing no objection to the relicensing of any premises in the district, ppart from the Gresham Hotel. Even that objection would not . proceed because of the application by the’ owners and the licensee for the termination of the licence. Mr Paterson said that, similarly, the inspector of licensed premises had noted only four hotels requiring various works to comply With the standards for renewing their licences. The committee granted

(more than 200 renewals of (licences in its annual reI view. They included hotels, taverns, tourist houses, caterers, wine resellers, wholesale outlets, restaurants, and more than 50 general ancillary- licence applicants. The number of general. ancillary licence renewal applications rivalled . those for hotels and taverns. They came from sports clubs, mostly rugby and bowls, and country clubs. Hotels or taverns had their relicensing applications adjourned to the conyn.ittee's quarterly meeting on September 14, mostly because, of building maintenance, fire, or health requisitions to be carried out. Mr Paterson said that in cases of fire emergency requisitions, .14 days was allowed lor compliance and a report on the work furnished to the next quarterly I meeting. Health requisitions had to be complied with by the quarterly meeting date. The applications adjourned to September 14 were: Cave Rock Hotel. Darfield

Hotel, Empire Hotel, Lees; Jlotel, Lyttelton Hotel. Mr; ven Hotel. Royal Hotel (1a tI telton). Royal George Tavlern, Valley Inn Tavern. ClaI'rendon Hotel, Southern ■ Cross Hotel, Avondale Golf Glub, Canterbury Aero Club, (M a-r is. t-Western Rugby j League Club. Papanui Bowlling Club, Tai Tapu Golf | Club, La Rue Restaurant, iLatimer Motor Lodge, j Applications by Ballins In (dustries, Ltd, for the closing (of the White Swan Tavern (and by Inns of Canterbury (for closing of Tattersails (Hotel were granted for oneyear terms by the committee.