Old Town Festival Fun Day license hearing
Festival will start with family fun day if licence is given
The Old Town Festival this year will start with a day for all the family at Town Gardens featuring live music, dance displays, food stall, market stalls and activities for children.
As long as councillors approve the licensing application.
A three-member panel of councillors will consider the application, made by the festival organisers for an event at the Town Gardens on Sunday June 1 between noon and 5pm.
The application request permission for live music, recorded music, dance performances and the sale of alcohol.
It says that there will be acoustic music acts playing in the gardens in Old Town and the recorded music will be the soundtrack for dancer performances by local dance schools on the stage of The Old Town Bowl outdoor performance space. in the gardens.
One objection has been lodged in response to the application: which says: “I appreciate the quietness and beauty of these gardens, and the bands playing occasionally in the bandstand.
“I assume there would be quite a bit more sound if the proposals were approved so I strongly object to these proposals. I request that such events should be away from residential homes and parks.”
In response, the organisers wrote: “We believe the Old Town festival should be held within the heart of Old Town so residents can access the event more easily and the local businesses can be a part of our successful events.
“The event is a family fun day running from 12pm-5pm. We have considered feedback from all parties after last year’s successful event and have factored in additional measure such as: set up and take down is done on the same day of the event to avoid disturbance to local residents, a one-way traffic route through Quarry Road which will be manned to avoid unnecessary traffic in the area, a quiet hour during the event (currently planned to be 12pm-1pm) and use of the whole gardens to spread the event out and reduce congestion in certain areas quiet areas of the park.”
The application says that the attendance will be capped at 2500 people and there will be no stalls set up in the lower gardens, and there will be a one-way walking route to create ‘a natural flow’ of those attending the event without overcrowding.
Increased recycling or composting of waste is also part of the plan.
The licensing panel will meet at 1pm on Wednesday May 21.