Kettering nightclub facing action after Covid closure notice leads to more questions

A Kettering nightclub served with a banning notice after breaching Covid regulations is facing further action and could lose its licence.

Aqua in Gold Street was slapped with a prohibition notice last month after it opened for cocktails in July, despite nightclubs being banned from opening under emergency coronavirus powers.

Kettering Council took the enforcement "as a last resort" but will now hold a full review of the club's licence after they had zero contact from their licensee throughout their investigation, instead having contact from men who they believe are involved with a nightclub in Northampton.

On July 22 the council was made aware that Aqua had opened over the weekend of July 17 to July 19. They sent a warning letter advising that the club should remain closed which was delivered for the attention of the licensee at the club address.

But on August 3 they were informed that the club had then opened again. The council had received no reply about the warning letter they had sent and decided to issue the notice to close the premises.

And after they investigated details so they could serve the notice, the council's health services manager Russ Howell found information which the authority says means the premises is not in the control of the firm which holds its licence.

Aqua's licence was transferred to Rockafellas Limited in February 2018 and at the time Gentian Talla was their sole director. He is recorded as Aqua's designated premises supervisor.

Companies House records show that Mr Talla ceased to be a person with significant control of Rockafellas in March 2020 and was no longer a director. The company's director is now Stephen Priest, who the council believe is an accountant in Corby and could not be contacted.

The council served the prohibition notice on Rockafellas on August 5 and, having had no response to the warning letter, hand-delivered the letter to the home of Mr Talla, as the club's designated premises supervisor, in Northampton.

But the following day Mr Howell received a call from a man "with an eastern European accent" who said his name was Victor and asked to speak about the notice served on Aqua. Because there was no Victor on the premises licence, or evidence of the name having any relation to Rockafellas, Mr Howell declined the call and Victor hung up. The council believes it was Victor Tavarnickis from Stereo nightclub in Northampton's Bridge Street.

Then, 90 minutes later, Mr Howell received an email which led to further questions.

It was signed off with "Regarding (sic) Gentian Talla" - but was sent from an email address named Dainis Tolvaisa. The council understands he is the licensee and proprietor of Stereo.

Mr Howell said: "No contact has been received from the licensee throughout this process.

"It is the view of the licensing authority that this premises is not in the control of the licensee Rockafellas Limited.

"The company's representative is not contactable. There is no control of compliance with the licensing objectives at the premises by the licensee."

When contacted by the Northants Telegraph when they were closed 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".

In an email to Mr Howell, Mr Talla/Mr Tolvaisa said their main question was whether they could work with the changes they had introduced.

They said: "Unfortunately temporary closure may lead our business to permanent closing."

The review is expected to be held in the coming months.

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