One of Leeds’ biggest cultural attractions has had to re-apply for its premises licence, after a shake-up in its operations.
The Royal Armouries’ commercial arm, which oversaw catering and conferences at the venue, was dissolved in September, it has emerged.
A new subsidiary company to look after that side of the business has been set up, but the museum’s licences to sell alcohol and play music did not carry over.
The Armouries, on Leeds Dock, draws tens of thousands of visitors every year, with its free entry and historic collection of weapons and warfare items.
But the venue also hosts big conferences and corporate events at the adjacent New Dock Hall and within the museum itself.
In 2018, it was announced that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) had bought the Armouries’ commercial arm for around £11m, in a move it said would unite the two parts of the business and allow the museum to go “from strength to strength”.
A council hearing on Tuesday will determine whether or not the Armouries can effectively keep the alcohol and music licences it had before.
A report prepared by the local authority ahead of the hearing said: “These premises have had the benefit of a premises licence since November
2005, which recently lapsed due to the licence holder, Royal Armouries
(International) Plc., entering administration proceedings on September 20,
2022.”
The report added that as the venue had not applied to transfer the licence to the new company within 28 days, “the licence ceased to have effect with no option for it to be reinstated.”
However, in a statement on Monday, the Royal Armouries said: “The Armouries’ catering and events arm has not gone into administration.
“Following the acquisition of Royal Armouries (International) Plc by the Royal Armouries from its previous private shareholders, the corporate structure of the commercial operation across the Royal Armouries was reorganised and the activity previously carried out by Royal Armouries (International) Ltd, which include the catering and events activity, was transferred to another subsidiary Royal Armouries Trading and Enterprises Ltd.
“As a result, Royal Armouries (International) Ltd became dormant and an application to dissolve it was made.
“Royal Armouries Trading and Enterprises Ltd continues to trade profitably.”
