V club will be run "properly and professionally" says new owner (From Bournemouth Echo)
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V club will be run "properly and professionally" says new owner
12:00pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News By Melanie Vass
V nightclub in Bournemouth
THE new owner of a troubled Bournemouth nightclub has promised it will be run “properly and professionally” – if he is allowed to reopen it.
Gary Bennetton has taken the helm of V in Exeter Road, which had its licence suspended following a serious stabbing incident last month.
His first task is to attend a licensing hearing tomorrow and try and convince police and councillors to allow him to reopen the club.
If he succeeds, he is promising big changes. “In my opinion, V is probably one of the best clubs on the south coast, if not the country,” he said. “It’s a brilliant club but it has not been run well.
“It needs someone with a fresh mindset, we all know its history, it needs a fresh, clean sweep.”
Gary currently runs the Orange Rooms club in Southampton and recently succeeded in winning permission to open an Orange Rooms venue in Holdenhurst Road.
He insisted he was not linked to the previous owners, including Richard Carr, in any way and said they would not be involved in V under his ownership.
“I wouldn’t do that, I don’t know him well enough to go into business with him,” he said.
“I wouldn’t risk my reputation or the brand.
“This is purely a business transaction. I can’t change the past, I can only change the future and that’s what I intend to do.”
One of his ideas is to reverse the decision to make V a “superclub” by merging the nightclub fronting Exeter Road with the former Hamptons venue in Terrace Road.
“They work better as individual venues. The way they were connected was strange and it just didn’t work.
“I’ve only been looking at it a week but hopefully we’ve got some ideas that will help with the operation of the venue. Hopefully the council will be confident we’re going to run it properly and professionally.
“I’m a family man, I’ve got a wife and two kids and I don’t get involved in the politics of the club scene. I’m just really looking forward to this challenge – it’s probably the challenge of my career.”
Cllr Andrew Morgan, chair of the licensing board, said: “A full review of the premises licence for ‘V’ will take place at a licensing hearing on Thursday.
“The Board will be considering the appropriate next steps. During the hearing the Board will receive representations from the club’s management, Dorset Police and Environmental Health.”
Comments(13)
portia6
says...
12:37pm Wed 6 Mar 13
it just be a fine dining restaurant with
an ice-rink incorporated? There is also
a lack of educational places for the
family to visit such as a museum.
What about a waxwork theme?
rozmister
says...
1:15pm Wed 6 Mar 13
portia6 wrote:If I went for a fine dining experience I wouldn't want to be disturbed by children skating around squealing. I like children and I've got no problem with them being noisy and excitable but it's not what I want while I'm trying to enjoy an expensive meal.
Does Bournemouth really need it, can't
it just be a fine dining restaurant with
an ice-rink incorporated? There is also
a lack of educational places for the
family to visit such as a museum.
What about a waxwork theme?
As for a museum - it would have to be privately run as the council is struggling to afford things already. The conversion of the nightclub into a museum would be a big job costing a fair bit of money so you'd be looking for an investor with a lot of cash. The profits on a museum aren't a lot either in general so they'd struggle to see a return.
boyerboy
says...
1:17pm Wed 6 Mar 13
No stag week ends, no late night drinking, clubs run by and for groups of people who are certainly not from the local area.
About time the Council grasped the nettle....Bournemout
h has lost its way in recent times, the way forward is not night clubs.
rozmister
says...
1:25pm Wed 6 Mar 13
boyerboy wrote:I'm a young person living in Bournemouth and nearly everyone I know goes to town centre nightclubs. They are run, at least partly, for people from round here.
Why can`t we have our Bournemouth back ?
No stag week ends, no late night drinking, clubs run by and for groups of people who are certainly not from the local area.
About time the Council grasped the nettle....Bournemout
h has lost its way in recent times, the way forward is not night clubs.
Bournemouth's lost 4 night time venues in the past year which have, at this moment in time, not reopened and now V is closed as well. I think Bournemouth's doing pretty well on losing night time venues at present!
If you get 'your Bournemouth back' how are you going to create the lost income for hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars, taxi drivers, cafes, etc that currently count hen and stag dos as one of their main client groups? Until Bournemouth has got a viable economy to replace hen and stag dos I think you should keep them!
skippy123
says...
1:35pm Wed 6 Mar 13
portia6 wrote:we have a wax work theme museum its call bournemouth town council
Does Bournemouth really need it, can't
it just be a fine dining restaurant with
an ice-rink incorporated? There is also
a lack of educational places for the
family to visit such as a museum.
What about a waxwork theme?
Baywolf
says...
5:51pm Wed 6 Mar 13
Glashen
says...
6:33pm Wed 6 Mar 13
-
Maybe the answer is not to permanently close premises, but to permanently ban those with a record of bad management and police concerns from further involvement with licensed premises,
MrPitiful
says...
7:37pm Wed 6 Mar 13
If there is room for improvements in how it is run, then these improvements need to be made.
However, it is a business which can be profitable & it is located in the town centre - rare qualities these days.
TheGreenHornet
says...
8:48pm Wed 6 Mar 13
Standards, procedures, quality and services all fall short when the man at the top doesn't re-invest profits and sees the business as pure profitability. Either for their lifestyle or other major financial commitments.
It's like owning a car, use it everyday, and then expect it to be showroom condition after 5 years without spending any money on it.
The new owners may struggle to mend the damaged reputation now. And putting on crappy Z-List TV personalities like they usually do ain't a quick fix.
tricky1007
says...
5:25pm Thu 7 Mar 13
rozmister wrote:how about people of my age bracket (30-40) who have jobs and spare income that want a good night out, we don't all want drinks at a £1, we want somewhere where you can socialise, spend good money and not have someone being sick next to you! When your older you will realise the £20 you have in your pocket is not a great deal of money to spend n a night out!!
boyerboy wrote:I'm a young person living in Bournemouth and nearly everyone I know goes to town centre nightclubs. They are run, at least partly, for people from round here.
Why can`t we have our Bournemouth back ?
No stag week ends, no late night drinking, clubs run by and for groups of people who are certainly not from the local area.
About time the Council grasped the nettle....Bournemout
h has lost its way in recent times, the way forward is not night clubs.
Bournemouth's lost 4 night time venues in the past year which have, at this moment in time, not reopened and now V is closed as well. I think Bournemouth's doing pretty well on losing night time venues at present!
If you get 'your Bournemouth back' how are you going to create the lost income for hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars, taxi drivers, cafes, etc that currently count hen and stag dos as one of their main client groups? Until Bournemouth has got a viable economy to replace hen and stag dos I think you should keep them!
ManatWork
says...
7:18pm Thu 7 Mar 13
boyerboy wrote:Well said Boyerboy. When I moved to Bournemouth in 1982 it was heaven on earth you could walk around the town with no fear of being mugged,accosted for money, or worse. The town has been allowed to go downhill by the council who again always get it wrong. Tory Mayors and councillors who have no grasp on real life. Bournemouth is supposed to be a holiday resort for families? who wants to bring kids into the town to see drunk teenagers falling all over the place and being nothing but ****.
Why can`t we have our Bournemouth back ?
No stag week ends, no late night drinking, clubs run by and for groups of people who are certainly not from the local area.
About time the Council grasped the nettle....Bournemout
h has lost its way in recent times, the way forward is not night clubs.
Talkingheadera
says...
9:05pm Thu 7 Mar 13
Would be a good tourist attraction to see brewing and tasting sessions
rozmister says...
12:07pm Wed 6 Mar 13
When the original reports came out lots of comments were posted stating how well V was run but Gary Bennetton says 'it was not run well' - is he privy to information we've yet to see?