Doncaster Metripolitan Council
Councillors:
56
Wards:
22
Committees:
25
Meetings (2025):
88
Meetings (2024):
113
Meeting
Licensing Sub-Committee - Doncaster
Meeting Times
Scheduled Time
Start:
Monday, 29th July 2024
10:00 AM
Monday, 29th July 2024
10:00 AM
End:
Monday, 29th July 2024
2:00 PM
Monday, 29th July 2024
2:00 PM
Meeting Status
Status:
Confirmed
Confirmed
Date:
29 Jul 2024
29 Jul 2024
Location:
Council Chamber, Civic Office, Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3BU
Council Chamber, Civic Office, Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3BU
Meeting Attendees
Chair
Councillor Dave Shaw
Present, as expected
Vice-Chair
Councillor Linda Curran
Expected
Committee Member
Councillor Bev Chapman
Present, as expected
Committee Member
Councillor Yetunde Elebuibon
Expected
Committee Member
Councillor John Healy
Expected
Committee Member
Councillor Leanne Hempshall
Expected
Committee Member
Councillor Debbie Hutchinson
Expected
Committee Member
Councillor Emma Muddiman-Rawlins
Expected
Committee Member
Cabinet Member for Adults, Wellbeing and Culture
Committee Member
Councillor Thomas Noon
Present, as expected
Committee Member
Councillor Ian Pearson
Expected
Agenda
0
A. Reports where the Public and Press may not be excluded.
1
Apologies for Absence
Minutes
There were no apologies for absence.
2
To consider the extent , if any, to which the public and press are to be excluded from the meeting.
3
Declarations of interest, if any.
Minutes
There were no declarations made at the meeting.
4
Application for a new premises licence - Pride Event, Town Field, Thorne Road, Doncaster, DN1 2JS.
Attachments:
- Document i4 lic sub 290724 Report 19 Jul 2024
- Document i4 lic sub 290724 APPENDIX D 19 Jul 2024
- Document i4 lic sub 290724 APPENDIX E 19 Jul 2024
- Document i4 lic sub 290724 APPENDIX F 19 Jul 2024
Minutes
The Sub-Committee considered an application for a new premises licence in respect of Pride Event, Town Field, Thorne Road, Doncaster DN1 2JS.
The Sub-Committee Members, the Applicant, and the persons making representations had received a copy of the agenda prior to the meeting. Copies of the representations were appended to the report at Appendix E.
At the commencement of the hearing, the Chair welcomed all parties to the meeting, made introductions and outlined the procedure to be followed.
The Senior Licensing Practitioner, Hayley Oxley introduced the report and outlined the key points in relation to the application.
Jenny Dewsnap, Events Doncaster Manager, City of Doncaster Council (CDC) who was representing for the Applicant, and Andrew Hempsall, the Applicant, from The Bar Hire Company Ltd, attended the meeting, made representations and answered questions.
All parties were then asked to leave the meeting, whilst the Sub-Committee deliberated on the application and reached a decision.
All parties were invited back into the meeting and informed of the Sub-Committee’s decision.
RESOLVED that having considered the application for a Premises Licence for the Pride Event at Town Field, Thorne Road, Doncaster, DN1 2JS and taken into account the written representations made, the evidence presented today, the steps that are appropriate to promote the Licensing Objectives, the Home Office Guidance and our Statement of Licensing Policy and have decided to grant the application, subject to the following conditions:
The final safety plan to be submitted to the Safety Advisory Group no later than Friday 2nd August, 2024.
The sale of alcohol on the site will be prohibited before 11:00am and cease at 9:00pm.
The licence will be limited to no more than one event, to be held once per year, during the month of August.
The Sub-committee also reminded the Applicant that it is a condition of this licence that the event organiser will be responsible for additional parking enforcement.
The Sub-Committee explained that they made the decision for the following reasons;
• The Sub-Committee heard from the Applicant’s representative, Jennie Dewsnap, that Pride is a registered charity and the festival has been successfully run in Doncaster every year since 2007, most recently at Elmfield Park in 2022 and 2023 where they received approximately 7,500 visitors. It is no longer achievable to hold the event at Elmfield Park due to issues and limitations around fencing, security issues which occurred overnight, and a lack of control over alcohol consumption, as people could purchase alcohol nearby and pass glass bottles through the fence.
• The Pride event will take place on around 1/8th of the overall site of Town Field. There will be double perimeter fencing, which will stop alcohol and bottles being passed inside, and also provide a sterile corridor for cables and equipment. There will be no glass allowed on the site, with bag checks being in operation. The site will also be lit by LED from dusk to dawn.
• In addition, trees and their roots are part of Pride’s consideration. Site Designer, John O’Neill, has been brought into the team in recent years. Pride have worked calculations for any structures to be 12x the diameter of the tree and blue badge parking has been moved to 12 metres from any tree.
• The Residents Association also took part in the consultation for the event – they will be at Pride and will support the litter pick after the event.
• In addressing objections, specifically disruption, noise, safety, loss of amenity, congestion, and parking, the Applicant’s representative told the Sub-Committee that a noise and acoustic expert, Phil Williams, has been the technical lead on sound for 15 years. Pride have a Noise Management Plan, where they will monitor decibels and low frequency levels every hour, and take into account weather conditions on the day. Any noise level recordings will be available to those who wish to see them. All generators will be “super-silent” generators, and the stages will be positioned in the centre of the site, lined by trees to provide natural absorption of sound. The final performance will finish at 09:15 pm, with the site being cleared of visitors by 10pm. Sales of alcohol will cease at 9pm.
• There will be access gates to the site, which will be locked when not in use. Vehicle access to the site will be limited, and any vehicles which do need to drive on the site will not drive in, or through, any wild-flower beds of within 12m of trees. The Sub-Committee were still concerned that there will be unavoidable use of heavy vehicles on site, and were assured by the Applicant that the Council’s Tree Team will be consulted on any potential routes, to ensure that trees and their roots will be protected in accordance with best standard practice.
• Information screens will be in place, asking people to leave promptly and quietly, and a site clear-up and litter pick will take place on Sunday and into Monday. As a clause of the site license, Doncaster Council will carry out any work not done by Pride, and Pride will be charged for the cost of this. There will be “No Parking” signage on Town Moor Avenue, there will be a free bus service provide by First Travel South Yorkshire, and a free parking area is available at Car Park C at the Racecourse, near the entrance to Sandall Beat.
• The Sub-Committee also heard from Andrew Hempsall, from The Bar Hire Company who operate events in Yorkshire, Derbyshire & Lincolnshire. They have operated events for 12 years, and never had to call for police for assistance. They will operate Challenge 25, and all staff are trained in that. The sale of alcohol will also be monitored to ensure that drinks are not being given to underage people. Andrew stated that Pride’s management plan is the best he has ever seen, and feels it addresses all the potential issues. There will be 25 radios on site, with a dedicated channel for bar staff, and access for bar staff to contact the security staff by radio if required during the event.
• Whilst the Applicant has applied for a licence which covers a period of 7 days, they clarified that the event will only take place on ONE day in August. Historically the event has always taken place on a Saturday, and it is highly unlikely that Pride would take place on any day other than a Saturday.
• When asked why a licence was required until 10pm, when the sale of alcohol will cease at 9pm, the Sub-Committee were told that this is Pride’s personal curfew. In their experience this will allow time to clear the area. The final act which is scheduled to start at 08:30pm will end at 09:15pm. The last orders time will be advertised during the day.
• The Sub-Committee have considered the written representations of the objectors. In-particular they appreciated the concerns around noise levels, consumption of alcohol, safety issues from the large numbers of people, and car parking in residential areas.
• The Sub-Committee were concerned about the distance between the bar and the stage, and where customers would congregate and flow. Pride referred to their detailed crowd calculations in their safety plan. Based on the Purple Guide guidance, the site excluding the temporary structures, would allow for 14,000 people at any one time. This license application is limited to no more than 10,000 people, well within these calculations. These calculations have also considered the possibility of an emergency evacuation, and the crowd numbers are within an acceptable limit. A robust system of counting visitors in and out of the festival is in place.
• The Applicant’s representative assured the Sub-Committee that a contact number has been communicated to residents, two weeks ago, by the residents’ association, and on the advice from the Residents’ Association as to which streets should be provided with the number. It was raised that some residents had potentially not received these letters. The Sub-Committee requested further letters to be sent out to residents of Town Moor Avenue, Bennetthorpe, Thorne Road, and Alderson Drive where these areas are adjacent to Town Field. Assurances were given that further letters would be sent out ahead of the event, specifically to residents in these areas.
• The Sub-Committee members were sympathetic to the objectors’ fears, but commended Pride’s safety plan, and felt that the application was detailed and comprehensive both in the written submissions, and on the representations made today.
The Sub-Committee Members, the Applicant, and the persons making representations had received a copy of the agenda prior to the meeting. Copies of the representations were appended to the report at Appendix E.
At the commencement of the hearing, the Chair welcomed all parties to the meeting, made introductions and outlined the procedure to be followed.
The Senior Licensing Practitioner, Hayley Oxley introduced the report and outlined the key points in relation to the application.
Jenny Dewsnap, Events Doncaster Manager, City of Doncaster Council (CDC) who was representing for the Applicant, and Andrew Hempsall, the Applicant, from The Bar Hire Company Ltd, attended the meeting, made representations and answered questions.
All parties were then asked to leave the meeting, whilst the Sub-Committee deliberated on the application and reached a decision.
All parties were invited back into the meeting and informed of the Sub-Committee’s decision.
RESOLVED that having considered the application for a Premises Licence for the Pride Event at Town Field, Thorne Road, Doncaster, DN1 2JS and taken into account the written representations made, the evidence presented today, the steps that are appropriate to promote the Licensing Objectives, the Home Office Guidance and our Statement of Licensing Policy and have decided to grant the application, subject to the following conditions:
The final safety plan to be submitted to the Safety Advisory Group no later than Friday 2nd August, 2024.
The sale of alcohol on the site will be prohibited before 11:00am and cease at 9:00pm.
The licence will be limited to no more than one event, to be held once per year, during the month of August.
The Sub-committee also reminded the Applicant that it is a condition of this licence that the event organiser will be responsible for additional parking enforcement.
The Sub-Committee explained that they made the decision for the following reasons;
• The Sub-Committee heard from the Applicant’s representative, Jennie Dewsnap, that Pride is a registered charity and the festival has been successfully run in Doncaster every year since 2007, most recently at Elmfield Park in 2022 and 2023 where they received approximately 7,500 visitors. It is no longer achievable to hold the event at Elmfield Park due to issues and limitations around fencing, security issues which occurred overnight, and a lack of control over alcohol consumption, as people could purchase alcohol nearby and pass glass bottles through the fence.
• The Pride event will take place on around 1/8th of the overall site of Town Field. There will be double perimeter fencing, which will stop alcohol and bottles being passed inside, and also provide a sterile corridor for cables and equipment. There will be no glass allowed on the site, with bag checks being in operation. The site will also be lit by LED from dusk to dawn.
• In addition, trees and their roots are part of Pride’s consideration. Site Designer, John O’Neill, has been brought into the team in recent years. Pride have worked calculations for any structures to be 12x the diameter of the tree and blue badge parking has been moved to 12 metres from any tree.
• The Residents Association also took part in the consultation for the event – they will be at Pride and will support the litter pick after the event.
• In addressing objections, specifically disruption, noise, safety, loss of amenity, congestion, and parking, the Applicant’s representative told the Sub-Committee that a noise and acoustic expert, Phil Williams, has been the technical lead on sound for 15 years. Pride have a Noise Management Plan, where they will monitor decibels and low frequency levels every hour, and take into account weather conditions on the day. Any noise level recordings will be available to those who wish to see them. All generators will be “super-silent” generators, and the stages will be positioned in the centre of the site, lined by trees to provide natural absorption of sound. The final performance will finish at 09:15 pm, with the site being cleared of visitors by 10pm. Sales of alcohol will cease at 9pm.
• There will be access gates to the site, which will be locked when not in use. Vehicle access to the site will be limited, and any vehicles which do need to drive on the site will not drive in, or through, any wild-flower beds of within 12m of trees. The Sub-Committee were still concerned that there will be unavoidable use of heavy vehicles on site, and were assured by the Applicant that the Council’s Tree Team will be consulted on any potential routes, to ensure that trees and their roots will be protected in accordance with best standard practice.
• Information screens will be in place, asking people to leave promptly and quietly, and a site clear-up and litter pick will take place on Sunday and into Monday. As a clause of the site license, Doncaster Council will carry out any work not done by Pride, and Pride will be charged for the cost of this. There will be “No Parking” signage on Town Moor Avenue, there will be a free bus service provide by First Travel South Yorkshire, and a free parking area is available at Car Park C at the Racecourse, near the entrance to Sandall Beat.
• The Sub-Committee also heard from Andrew Hempsall, from The Bar Hire Company who operate events in Yorkshire, Derbyshire & Lincolnshire. They have operated events for 12 years, and never had to call for police for assistance. They will operate Challenge 25, and all staff are trained in that. The sale of alcohol will also be monitored to ensure that drinks are not being given to underage people. Andrew stated that Pride’s management plan is the best he has ever seen, and feels it addresses all the potential issues. There will be 25 radios on site, with a dedicated channel for bar staff, and access for bar staff to contact the security staff by radio if required during the event.
• Whilst the Applicant has applied for a licence which covers a period of 7 days, they clarified that the event will only take place on ONE day in August. Historically the event has always taken place on a Saturday, and it is highly unlikely that Pride would take place on any day other than a Saturday.
• When asked why a licence was required until 10pm, when the sale of alcohol will cease at 9pm, the Sub-Committee were told that this is Pride’s personal curfew. In their experience this will allow time to clear the area. The final act which is scheduled to start at 08:30pm will end at 09:15pm. The last orders time will be advertised during the day.
• The Sub-Committee have considered the written representations of the objectors. In-particular they appreciated the concerns around noise levels, consumption of alcohol, safety issues from the large numbers of people, and car parking in residential areas.
• The Sub-Committee were concerned about the distance between the bar and the stage, and where customers would congregate and flow. Pride referred to their detailed crowd calculations in their safety plan. Based on the Purple Guide guidance, the site excluding the temporary structures, would allow for 14,000 people at any one time. This license application is limited to no more than 10,000 people, well within these calculations. These calculations have also considered the possibility of an emergency evacuation, and the crowd numbers are within an acceptable limit. A robust system of counting visitors in and out of the festival is in place.
• The Applicant’s representative assured the Sub-Committee that a contact number has been communicated to residents, two weeks ago, by the residents’ association, and on the advice from the Residents’ Association as to which streets should be provided with the number. It was raised that some residents had potentially not received these letters. The Sub-Committee requested further letters to be sent out to residents of Town Moor Avenue, Bennetthorpe, Thorne Road, and Alderson Drive where these areas are adjacent to Town Field. Assurances were given that further letters would be sent out ahead of the event, specifically to residents in these areas.
• The Sub-Committee members were sympathetic to the objectors’ fears, but commended Pride’s safety plan, and felt that the application was detailed and comprehensive both in the written submissions, and on the representations made today.
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