Nottingham Forest to be charged 23 times previous events fee after Take That concerts
Two of Nottinghamshire’s biggest sports clubs will be charged thousands of pounds in extra fees every year to allow them to host more large-scale events. Conservative-run Rushcliffe Borough Council had been charging both Nottingham Forest Football Club, whose home is the City Ground, and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, which owns Trent Bridge, an annual £350 premises licence fee.
A premises licence is typically issued by a council so a business, club or organisation can host hospitality including the sale of alcohol, entertainment and late-night refreshment. Rushcliffe Borough Council started a review of its fees after Take That performed for two nights at the City Ground in May as part of the group’s ‘This Life’ tour.
More than 20,000 fans attended both gigs. The concert was the first of its kind to take place at the City Ground since R.E.M performed on Trentside in July 2005.
Following the review, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has been told both Nottingham Forest and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club will now be charged £8,350 and £2,350 per year respectively.
The new fees were first disclosed during a behind closed doors discussion with councillors on October 14, but have since been confirmed by the council. Geoff Carpenter, head of service for public protection at Rushcliffe Borough Council, said: “The appropriate fee has always been charged to these premises.
“There is a huge amount of work in negotiating the safety of these events to make sure these events run smoothly, and there is a cost to the council.”
Mr Carpenter said both clubs have been hosting a more diverse range of events, including the Take That concert at City Ground and the Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival and a Robbie Williams tribute act at Trent Bridge earlier this year. Making sure the events do not prove to be of an unreasonable disturbance to residents, and making sure they run safely, all bears a cost to the authority, he said.
The review included discussions with other councils about what fees would be appropriate to charge. While there could have been an argument for the increased fees in the past, Mr Carpenter says the council believes it would not have been appropriate.
“The review took place after the Take That concert and the increased fee was now appropriate,” he added. "The fee would not have been appropriate in the past.”
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club declined to comment, and Nottingham Forest had not responded by time of publication.