Bid for mystery music event near pub thrown out

A MYSTERY all-day open-air music event in Bristol has been refused permission amid fears about public nuisance, crime and disorder.

Councillors threw out a request for a temporary event notice (TEN) for June 3 on Albany Green, Montpelier, after police and environmental health objected, having been provided with almost no details – including how it would be managed or even what kind of music would be played.

The applicant was not named and did not attend the hearing, but Bristol City Council licensing sub-committee heard it was not Glastonbury Festival legend Malcolm Haynes, landlord of the nearby Star & Garter pub, who has permission to hold eight events a year for up to 3,000 people on the open space.

Members said they had no choice but to reject the event for up to 50 people, from midday to 11pm, because of the lack of information.

Senior pollution control officer Mark Curtis told the panel that there were no details about how the number of attendees would be restricted. He said: “Without any further information about what the music was going to be and what measures would be in place to control the event, I had to object because of the likelihood of public nuisance, public disorder and public safety.”

Avon & Somerset Police licensing officer Louise Mowbray said she had spoken to Mr Haynes, who created Glastonbury’s Dance Village and has organised St Paul’s Carnival, and that it was “nothing to do with him”.

She said the applicant did not consult with the authorities either before submitting the TEN request or after the objections were lodged.

“As it stands we can’t have any guarantee that the numbers planned would not turn into something more which would then require public resources for the police service to manage any issues that arose,” she said.

Panel member Cllr Brenda Massey (Labour, Southmead) said: “It’s really worrying that there is so little engagement in terms of how he would restrict it to 50 people, nothing about public toilets, nothing about collecting bottles or glass.”

Cllr Sarah Classick (Lib Dem, Hengrove & Whitchurch Park) added: “Or even any information about what the event actually is.”