Castle’s opera licence on hold over ‘noise concerns’

Richard Evans, local democracy reporter

A decision on an application to allow events for up to 5,000 people at a Grade I listed castle has been delayed to allow the applicant to prepare a “noise action plan”.

Conwy Council’s licensing committee were due to meet today (Monday) at the council’s Coed Pella HQ to consider an application by the Gwrych Castle Trust.

The castle on Tan-Y-Gopa Road already has a licence for alcohol between 10am and 1am and is busy planning an opera event featuring the world-renowned tenor Russell Watson.

But when the castle originally applied for its events licence, the trust only applied for a licence to play music from 11pm until 1am, which allowed up to 5,000 people.

Live Music Act exemption

For the rest of the day, the castle instead relied upon a Live Music Act exemption, which allows them to have live or recorded music from 10am until 11pm, but this limits the event to 500 people.

So the castle is now applying for a licence which would enable them to increase the amount of people up to 5,000 between 10am and 11pm, effectively allowing up to 5,000 people to attend all day, rather than for the last two hours only.

The Gwrych Castle Trust says it will limit the licence to just four events all year.

But the council’s licensing department has received a representation from the environmental health department, raising concerns about potential noise.

Deferred

Consequently, the licensing committee meeting scheduled for today has been deferred for a month at the request of the applicant to allow them to prepare a noise action plan.

The licensing application will be debated at a committee meeting next month.

A spokesman for Gwrych Castle said: “Gwrych Castle already holds a premises licence but is seeking a variation that would allow up to four larger-scale events per year, such as music festivals and classical concerts with more than 500 attendees.

“Our ambition is to welcome back world-renowned tenor Russell Watson, who performed at the castle during ITV’s I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2020, for a spectacular opera concert.”

He added: “To ensure these events are safe and well managed, a comprehensive sound management plan is currently being prepared and will be submitted to Conwy County Borough Council in the coming weeks.”