Issue - meetings

1.  That the evaluation and the lessons learned from this year’s Social Festival set out in the report of the Head of Commercial and Economic Development – The Social Festival Review be noted.

2.  That, taking account of this evaluation and the additional measures proposed to address all of the issues raised, permission be granted for the Social Festival to be held in Mote Park in 2016 subject to the organisers being granted an appropriate licence for the event, and Councillors Fissenden and Hemsley as representatives of the Committee being involved in the development of the event plan.

Laura Dickson, MCL Marketing and Sales Manager, delivered a report evaluating the Social Festival following an increase in complaints.

The Committee were advised that:

·  MBC received a fee from the organiser for the hire of Mote Park, however now that the Festival had grown in size more input was required.

·  The Social Festival had been shortlisted by the UK Festivals Awards for Best Small Festival and Best Line-Up.

·  The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) - comprised of MBC Officers and partners such as the police - had noted that sound issues were mainly created by air direction and pressure.

·  The nature of the complaints received included taxi cabs stopping and picking up from residential streets, anti-social behaviour, litter, use of legal highs and urination in public.

·  The organiser of the Festival had agreed to implement additional requirements to mitigate against such issues, such as:

a.  Additional stewarding;

b.  An improved traffic management plan;

c.  Policing if required by SAG;

d.  A comprehensive clean-up programme; and

e.  Comprehensive communication with ward Members and local residents.

These would be funded by the organiser.

Paul Spooner, interim Director of Planning and Development, put forward further suggestions for the Committee to consider, as follows:

·  That the additional requirements listed above be detailed in an exacting contract.

·  That additional resources be allocated by the organisers to ensure police presence at the event.

·  That a task and finish group led by an MBC appointed expert event organiser would be set up to work on the development of the event plan. The event plan would go before SAG and the Licensing Committee, before being adopted and led by the event expert. It was put forward that two Members of the Committee should be included on the task and finish group.

RESOLVED:

1.  That the evaluation and the lessons learned from this year’s Social Festival set out in the report of the Head of Commercial and Economic Development – The Social Festival Review be noted.

2.  That, taking account of this evaluation and the additional measures proposed to address all of the issues raised, permission be granted for the Social Festival to be held in Mote Park in 2016 subject to the organisers being granted an appropriate licence for the event, and Councillors Fissenden and Hemsley as representatives of the Committee being involved in the development of the event plan.

For – 8  Against – 1  Abstain – 0

Councillor Paterson requested that her dissent be noted as she felt that the matter should return to a future meeting with further information provided.