Comment | Read Comments (2)

RULES that permitted a three-day music festival near Overton should be changed by the Government, councillors believe.

Members of a borough committee have decided to write to the Government and Basingstoke MP Maria Miller to ask for the law to be altered.

Overton councillor Paula Baker told Tuesday's meeting of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's licensing committee the festival should not have been given the go-ahead on a Temporary Event Notices basis (TENs) without public consultation.

But officers explained the Government's TENs legislation included no provision for public consultation.

Cllr Baker raised her concerns after the three-day Echo music festival, held on land in Northington Farm from June 30 to July 1, went ahead despite police objections.

TENs allow temporary events to be held without the need for a full licence or club premises certificate.

They must be applied for within 10 days of the event and police have 48 hours to serve an objection.

The event was the first to bring about a police objection in the borough since the licences came into effect under the Licensing Act 2003.

Cllr Baker's motion to the meeting, seconded by fellow Overton councillor Ian Tilbury, said the event "raised great concerns in the local community, not only about the event itself but about the TENs legislation".

The motion asked the committee to consider whether it should ask for a change in the legislation.

Cllr Baker said neighbours were unhappy at not being consulted and were worried about traffic, noise and safety.

The borough's licensing manager, Linda Cannon, said legislation only allowed TENs to be rejected if police raised crime or disorder concerns, but the council had used its other powers to have a pre-emptive noise abatement notice served on the Echo festival in advance.

Cllr Stuart Parker said: "I think it is, yet again, another example of this ridiculous legislation introduced by this Government."

Cllr Parker added: "I see no harm in this committee putting forward a suggestion that there are real faults in this particular process.

"Until that is done by this authority and other authorities there will be no pressure on Government to look at this again."

9:18am Sunday 9th September 2007

Print

Email this

Comment