Kettering nightclub served with banning notice 'after Covid contraventions'

A nightclub in Kettering has been slapped with a prohibition notice under coronavirus laws.

Aqua in Gold Street opened their upstairs lounge for socially-distanced cocktails in July and had been planning to open from 10pm until 6am from next Friday.

Currently late-night venues which have a dancefloor and 'music for dancing' can open as long as the music and dancing is not provided - but nightclubs are specifically excluded from this exemption under emergency coronavirus powers.

And because Aqua is classed as a nightclub Kettering Council has now stepped in to shut them down.

A spokesman for Aqua said they had opened the venue as a bar and not a nightclub and had been following safety regulations, but "for some reason we were classified as a nightclub".

Kettering Council say they will monitor the nightclub to ensure compliance with the enforcement action.

Shirley Plenderleith, head of public services at Kettering Council, said: “Kettering Council is keen to provide support and advice to businesses as the lockdown restrictions are eased but it is equally important that we take enforcement action where appropriate for the safety of our residents and the venue’s staff.

"We take enforcement action as a last resort but in this case, the contraventions were clear.”

Earlier today Northamptonshire County Council warned they would not allow businesses to trade in unsafe circumstances.

Residents in Kettering, as well as Corby and Wellingborough, were also warned they were at risk of a local lockdown unless they followed extra rules and Government guidelines.

In a press briefing this afternoon it was revealed Kettering is showing a slight decrease in cases with just three in the week to August 2.

But the borough's infection rate - 595.5 per 100,000 people - is still the county's highest and is significantly higher than the national average.

More than 200 people have died at Kettering General Hospital having contracted Covid-19 since the pandemic started earlier this year.

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