Grove Park in North Belfast is to receive an all year round entertainment licence, following on the success of the Dockside festival in the summer.
At Belfast City Council ’s Licensing Committee last week, elected representatives agreed for the council-owned Grove Playing Fields, off Jellicoe Avenue, to receive a seven-day annual outdoor entertainments licence.
The park received a licence for outdoor entertainment earlier this year, for three days only, to host the Dockside Festival in July. The last time the park had an outdoor permit for entertainment was when the last full licence ran out in August 2015.
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But now, following the success of the Dockside Festival, councillors have agreed the park can be used for entertainment all year round. The standard days and hours for an outdoor entertainment licence are Monday to Sunday, 11.30am to 11.00pm.
The council report states: “Special conditions are attached to outdoor entertainment licences related to setting limits on maximum numbers and implementing a robust system of dealing with complaints.”
The PSNI and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service were consulted and both confirmed they had no objection to the application.
Nine noise complaints were received as a result of the dance music event held on 10th July 2022 this year, as part of the Dockside Festival. The council report states: “As a result of these complaints, the Night Time Noise Team carried out noise tests in the vicinity of three of the complainants' dwellings. The three noise readings indicated that the noise level was within acceptable limits.”
The report adds: “The applicant will be required to provide a noise management plan for future events which will be provided to the environmental protection unit for evaluation. Council officers work with the promoter in order to assess the noise that may be generated from the event and to minimise the potential for noise disturbance.
“Members will also recognise that noise generated by outdoor concerts is likely to lead to some level of disturbance for local residents. Even if guideline levels are met there is no guarantee that complaints will not be received.
“Conversely, if a recommended level is exceeded this may not necessarily lead to complaints as people may be prepared to tolerate the event because it will only last for a limited period of time.”
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