Three day music and arts festival to go ahead at a Welsh Racecourse

Twm Owen, Local democracy reporter

A three day music and arts festival can go ahead at a Welsh Racecourse but alcohol sales will have to stop at midnight.

Organisers had wanted to serve late night refreshment and sell alcohol at their three day Jungle Syndicate event at Chepstow Racecourse this May until 1am on the Friday morning and the Monday morning of its closing event on Sunday and until 2am on the Friday and Saturday sessions in line with conditions requested by Gwent Police.

But while Monmouthshire County Council’s licensing committee agreed performances, including live music, can continue until 2am they said refreshment and alcohol sales will have to stop at midnight each day.

A total of 15 objections were received and two residents attended the Monday, March 23 meeting to outline their concerns over anti social behaviour, parking problems, litter and even people using gardens as a toilet during previous events held at Piercefield Park at the racecourse.

The application by Adam Mahmood, a director of Jungle Syndicate Limited, is for a new annual four day event to be held each May but local resident David Neal said he was concerned due to previous events held at grade I registered historic parkland, adjacent to the eastern perimeter of the racecourse.

He said previous promises to address parking issues for local residents hadn’t been implemented.

Mr Neal said: “In the past there has been serious problems with parking, anti-social behaviour, litter and noise.”

He also said he was concerned about the sale of alcohol and said: “It’s been a huge problem with litter before and after events and I won’t go in to too much detail but people do things in gardens as well, I think you probably know what I mean?”

Following previous events Mr Neal said local residents have had to get together and clear the area and said: “Local residents have formed a party and have to get rid of litter, it is food and some other stuff.”

In response to concerns people would camp in adjoining woodland and gain access, from the Wye Valley public footpath, applicant Mr Mahmood said he was willing to put stewards or professional security staff at additional access points in consultation with residents.

Mr Mahmood also said he recognised the importance of access to the public footpath that will have to be diverted during the event and while no specific date was listed for this year’s festival the applicant said it had been moved to “mid May from the bank holiday to avoid the peak walking time.”

Another resident Sion Hartley said noise was a “major concern” and questioned information submitted in a noise impact assessment Mr Mahmood said had been approved by the council’s environmental health department.

The applicant also said the festival will work with an independent company, that has worked with the racecourse for the past five years, which will monitor and control noise from its three “small” stages which would all face away from residential areas.

Mr Mahmood, of Eastville, Bristol, told the committee he has been involved in staging events since he was 19 and is now “almost 37” and has been planning the event with the council run Event Safety Advisory Group and attendance will be capped at 999 people, with 500 tickets already sold.

He said its audience had “grown up with us” and described them as “professional people, teachers and doctors, now in their mid 30s.”

Mr Mahmood, who said 10 per cent of net profits would be donated to Gwent Wildlife Trust and local arts charities, told the committee: “I want to be an asset to Chepstow not a chore”.

The committee said it was satisfied management of noise control and traffic was adequate but said reasons for seeking later hours for sale of refreshments and alcohol hadn’t been justified.