Fears Northern Quarter event could turn into 'street party' for England football fans

Police have objected to a plan for a Northern Quarter staple to have DJs playing outside next weekend over fears it ‘become a street party’ popular with England football fans.

Common, on Edge Street, applied for permission to allow its DJs to play outside to customers in its section-off seating area on June 29. Usually, the bar known for serving huge 22-inch pizzas and craft beer, has DJs playing inside on Friday and Saturday nights.

But both police and council officers objected to the proposals over fears it could attract punters at the perimeter of Common’s outside area and create a noise nuisance for residents nearby. They were also concerned about the potential impact for England playing a European Championship round-of-16 knockout game on the same day.

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“Experience has shown us when premises do this it becomes a large street party… people tag on and join on,” PC Alan Isherwood told a licensing meeting on Thursday (June 20). “Even with their own area barriered off and security doing their best, there’s not a lot they can do to stop people drinking on the other side of the fence.

“There’s potential for people in nearby bars in the Northern Quarter to join in but also groups of England fans. It could end up being Edge Street becomes a big street party and it’s not regulated.”

Licensing officers also highlighted concerns over noise disturbing neighbours on the Smithfield Estate only 40 metres away, and the potential for punters to take alcohol away from the area and therefore break a council order which bans street drinking in the city centre.

But Antonia Lallement, Common’s sales and marketing manager, told the hearing the venue had past experience and managing similar events at its sister bar, Nell’s at Kampus in the Village. She also offered to bring DJs inside at 9pm, rather than 10:30pm, in an effort to minimise residential disturbance.

“All of our customers are seated with us,” she added. “It’s a low-key event… we do regular sound checks, once an hour we will walk down [the street] to ensure it’s not transmitting further than our customers.”

Her colleague, Robbie Laybourn, added he was ‘optimistic’ England ‘would be playing on the Sunday (June 30)’, which they would do if they finished top of group C. If they finished second, their game would be on the Saturday.

“I think Saturday will be quieter than normal, I don’t think there will be any direct clash with an England game,” he explained.

Ultimately, councillors declined GMP’s request to block the event, but asked Common to ensure noise checks are carried out, and the event finishes at 9pm as the bar proposed. Chair Coun Carmine Grimshaw said: “We are not going to serve a counter notice on this occasion.

“We did note that you would consider reducing the hour. The committee did consider that as a major factor.”