Agenda and minutes

Councillor Peter Cartridge was elected as chairman.

Members will disclose any pecuniary and any other significant interests they may have in relation to the matters under consideration.

None

Report of the Corporate Director Environment.

The Corporate Director Environment submitted a report to provide members of the Licensing Sub-Committee with information to assist them to consider two objection notices received from Environmental Health and Lancashire Police, who are Relevant Persons under the 2003 Licensing Act to allow them to decide whether or not to serve a counter notice on the event organiser in accordance with Section 105 of the Licensing Act 2005 (the Act). The objections were to a proposed temporary event, scheduled to run from Saturday 4 July to Friday 10 July at Trapps Farm in Thornton. Mr Max Fox (the applicant) had uploaded a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) to the Gov.uk site on 23 May 2020.

The applicant was present to speak in support of the application. He was accompanied by Sarah Millard, Greg Kelly, James Atha and David Bowen.

The Senior Licensing Officer (SLO) said that Environmental Health (EH) were concerned that the event, if held, could undermine the Licensing Objectives and in particular the prevention of public nuisance.

The written submission from EH was included with the agenda. It raised concerns about light pollution from the screen and from vehicle headlights and about noise that would be generated on site from the amplification of the shows and artists through the vehicle stereos and the potential audience participation with the sing along elements, on the basis that vehicle occupiers were likely to have their windows open and that the organiser would be unable to control the volume levels in private vehicles.

EH were also concerned about engine noise and emissions, as they felt most vehicles would need to keep their engines idling to provide the power to stereos and heating systems. As the initial TEN indicated that toilets would not be provided, concerns were also raised about the potential for ASB and odour due to patrons leaving their vehicles and urinating indiscriminately. The applicant had since confirmed that toilets would be provided. EH were also concerned about littering, along with the potential for increased pest activity from food waste being left on the site.

Lancashire Constabulary were concerned that the event would be unlawful in terms of the current Covid-19 closure Regulations, prohibiting cinemas from being open and restricting public gatherings.

The SLO said that the applicant had been selling tickets for individual screenings and musical acts since Saturday 23 May, in the hope that the Government would continue to relax restrictions in accordance with their “COVID-19 recovery strategy”, which suggests that, based on the current reduction of the “R figure” to below 1, phase 3 could see the reopening of the hospitality and leisure sector from 4 July, subject to the Government’s five tests being met and social distancing measures being adhered to. An R rate higher than 1 indicates that the disease is growing exponentially.

She cautioned however that, if the R figure indicated that the spread of the virus had started to go back up, the Government would tighten restrictions again, possibly at short notice. On 1 June,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.