Yahoo News Feile 2024: Council agrees 1am concert extension at Falls Park despite complaints doubling last year
The organisers of Féile an Phobail in Belfast have been granted a request to hold entertainment after 11pm at Falls Park during the festival in August, despite complaints from locals and people further away in unionist areas.
At a Belfast City Council committee meeting, a discussion over extended entertainment hours for the Féile covered local objections as well as a claim from a DUP Councillor that revellers from the festival had “rampaged through Donegall Road” at a previous event.
At the most recent meeting of the City Hall Licensing Committee, elected representatives approved a request from the organisers of Féile an Phobail to permit the planned entertainment to run beyond 11.00 pm on up to seven nights during the festival event within Falls Park, running from Thursday August 1 to Sunday August 11, 2024.
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The festival organisers say the extension is essentially for one night - a so-called “diversionary” night of dance music for young people. The PSNI have yet to respond to the council about the request.
A seven day annual outdoor entertainments Licence and a seven day annual indoor licence for a marquee has been granted for Falls Park and both have been used to hold events in the past, primarily for the Féile. The days and standard hours during which entertainment may be provided both outdoors and in a marquee are Monday to Sunday from 11.30 am to 11.00 pm.
Prior to any event taking place promoters are required to demonstrate evidence of early consultation and have in place a system of dealing with any complaints, which has been agreed in advance with the council. Any requests to provide entertainment later than 11pm must be made at least three months in advance of the proposed event.
The council licensing report on the matter states: “The applicant has indicated that outdoor music events are scheduled for Friday to Sunday August 2nd to 4th, in conjunction with consecutive nights on Thursday to Sunday August 8th to 11th, and has requested to operate beyond 11pm on these seven nights.
“However, the applicant has indicated that it is intended only to operate to 1am for the diversionary dance music event on Thursday August 8, 2024.”
The council received around 120 noise complaints regarding the festival in 2023. This was an increase from the festival in 2022 when 58 noise complaints were received.
The report adds: “Many complaints related to the entertainment being permitted after 11.00pm during the working week. Complaints received during the course of the festival were brought to the attention of the event organisers and following the conclusion of the festival a detailed summary of all noise complaints was provided for their consideration. No formal action was undertaken by the Environmental Protection Unit in respect of the noise complaints received.”
It adds: “Whilst the service sought to arrange a post-event meeting with the applicant to discuss the event this did not take place. In their letter to committee Féile has committed, alongside local political and community representatives, to conduct a number of community consultations around this year’s events in the park, specifically engaging with local residents and addressing any issues or concerns.
“They also anticipate that entertainment will go to 1am on one occasion only, the diversionary event on Thursday August 8, 2024.”
It states: “The organisers will also be required to produce a suitable residents pre-notification letter containing a nominated event organiser contact that residents may refer concerns or make complaints to. The extent of the letter’s distribution, which will take place prior to the event, will be agreed with the event organiser by the Service in consultation with EPU officers.”
DUP Councillor Tracy Kelly said at the Licensing Committee meeting: “We have been getting complaints about this from residents in Highfield, and Springmartin and other residents in West Belfast. Is the consultation going to be with them as well as residents immediate to Falls Park?
“The complaints I have an issue with, as they have doubled from the year before. One of the nights is a weeknight, with people having to get up the next morning. Having a concert on until 1am is a concern.
“Also, last year at about 2am, residents in the Village, in the Donegall Road, (saw) a bit of a rampage through their community, and were called quite a lot of names. Police were involved with that, and it was well documented on our side of the community. I will be interested to see what their (the PSNI) call is on it. I notice they haven’t actually responded.
“They are aware of it, and my constituents are very concerned it is going to happen again.”
She asked why the Falls park event was to go beyond 11pm when all other council park events finished by that time.
A representative for Féile told the committee the PSNI had been in regular contact with them and had “raised no concerns” about the plan for this year.
He added: “The 1am extended licence was initially for the diversionary night, and members will be aware of the reasoning behind that night, where we have tried to work within local communities, particularly in the lead up to August 8th and 9th when traditionally bonfires would be built in Nationalist and Republican areas.
“What those bonfires brought to those areas was chaos and antisocial behaviour. We engaged widely with local political and community reps, statutory agencies, and importantly with the young people involved, and we asked them what type of initiatives or interventions could we help support, that would help keep young people away from the build up to and lighting of those fires.
“We engaged for five years, with young people from 12 years right up to 18 and 19 who were involved in that activity. They stated very clearly if we could provide an evening in the festival which could accommodate their needs - whether we like dance music or not, that is what the young people told us they would like to see happening within their local community.
“The first night we put that on we saw a reduction in those bonfires but there were some evenings where people would have left the park at 10 or 11pm and naturally would go to areas where there were bonfires. With further engagement with the council, safety officers on the ground with the PSNI and local political and community reps and young people themselves, we agreed to try and try and ask for an extension to 1am.
“This would literally keep those young people away from causing home in their local areas, but would also provide that carrot approach. We’ll put on a dance night till 1am, keep them in the park, safe, at an event, which is positive for the local community.” He said there was not a bonfire lit on those August nights anywhere in Belfast and said it was because young people “were engaging in Féile activity.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Caoimhín McCann proposed successfully the committee agree to the request by Féile. The committee also agreed to a request by Green Councillor Brian Smyth that a noise monitor be installed at the dance gig, and to a request by Alliance Councillor Tara Brooks that there would be a post gig assessment meeting attended by a variety of groups.
Councillors agreed to residents “within a certain proximity” being given warning of the events, with the limit yet to be determined. Councillor Kelly asked for those areas which generated the most complaints, in places such as Highfield and Springfield, to be included in residential areas receiving notice.
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