Hereford FC fan zone backed by Council
It's been announced the zone can become a regular drinking area on match days.
Hereford FC’s “fanzone” outside its stadium can become a regular match-day drinking area.
The club had applied for an outdoor extension to the licence for its Radford’s Bar on the east side of the ground opposite St John’s Court, rather than having to apply for temporary event notices for each match.
With concerns raised by Herefordshire Council’s environmental health officers and by one member of the public, the application was passed to the council’s licensing sub-committee to rule on last Thursday (August 17).
The unnamed resident said they were concerned the proposal “would negatively impact on the quality of sleep of myself and my neighbours”.
“The increased levels of noise that these fans will bring will increase distress and agitation that I already live with,” they wrote.
“Some fans can consume too much alcohol and throw drinks and glasses. I am worried that these issues would result in further deterioration to my mental health.”
The club’s general manager Jamie Griffiths told the committee it had tried unsuccessfully to engage with the resident.
The club’s aim was to “provide a safe and family-friendly space for our fans on match days”, he said, adding: “It’s not our intention to bring any increased noise or other anti-social issues to the club.”
The area would be empty by 6pm on Saturday, and by 10pm on a weekday evening, with the 11pm cutoff time sought “in case of delayed kick-offs at midweek games”.
As well as match days, the area would be used for other occasional events such as the club’s summer family open day, but not for private parties hosted by the bar, Mr Griffiths said.
The club “would be happy to comply” with conditions proposed by the environmental health banning waste disposal and playing of music after 11pm.
It would also reorient and reduce the volume of speakers at the zone in response to concerns, he said.
He added that staff had shut down a recent private party at the bar after the DJ refused to turn the music down – “because we just don’t want to have those issues with the local neighbourhood”.
Councillors on the committee agreed to grant the application.
Herefordshire Council, the club’s landlord, has separately granted permission for the club to improve guest broadband access at the ground.