Casa Brighouse latest: Council in court next week hoping to secure longer closure of Calderdale venue at centre of sewage row

As reported last night (Wednesday), council officers served a 48-hour closure notice on Casa Brighouse on Tuesday evening, ordering the business to shut temporarily.

That order is understood to finish this evening, allowing the business to reopen, but the council will apply for a longer closure order of up to three months in court next week.

If the council is successful, people with weddings, school proms and other functions booked at the venue may need to change their plans.

The council says a pipe from Casa Brighouse has been pumping the sewage onto Freeman’s Cut - used as a water-skiing lake.

Ian Day, the council’s director of public services, said: “It is very disappointing that foul water continues to flow into the watercourse, despite the range of robust action we’ve taken so far against Casa.

"We’re continuing to do everything we can to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, as it is causing great concern to the local community.

“We will seek a court hearing next week to impose a closure order until the remedial work is done.

"We won’t hesitate to take the most significant form of enforcement action when there’s a clear and evidence-based need.

“We will continue to visit the premises to ensure compliance, and are regularly monitoring the drainage pipe that we capped and have had to repair due to continued activity on site.

“We will pursue any lack of compliance with responsible business practice and enforcement processes.”

Despite continuing to dispute that his business is the source of the sewage, owner of Casa Brighouse Jack McDaid said that work to fix the pipe will soon begin.

He said: “We’ve taken advice from solicitors and we’ve instructed contractors. Subject to Yorkshire Water’s approval, we were going to start works tomorrow.

“As a matter of proper practice and behaviour, the pipe will be fixed in the manner it has to be in accordance with Yorkshire Water’s next specification by Thursday next week.”