Objections as venue changes for park event

A three-day food and music festival due to be held in Chichester last month is looking to reschedule at a new venue.

Pub in the Park was planned in Oaklands Park from Saturday, May 23, to Monday, May 25, but was called off because of the coronavirus lockdown.

Organisers are now looking to hold the event in August and use the Westgate Fields in front of Chichester College.

A premises licence for the event is due to be discussed by Chichester District Council’s alcohol and entertainment licensing sub-committee on

Wednesday.

Event organisers describe how ‘celebrity chefs will be producing Michelin starred dining, replicating dishes from each of their own pubs, whilst the audience enjoys live music and boutique shopping in a relaxed pub garden atmosphere’.

However the plans have attracted almost a dozen objections, mostly from Westgate residents, raising concerns about noise and the potential risk of disorder. It was also pointed out there is a care home immediately to the north of the site.

One resident felt the event would ‘seriously interfere with our right to a peaceful life’. Another added: “Where there is alcohol for sale there is always a risk of disorder.”

In response the organisers said: “Please be assured that we will endeavour to work with all park stakeholders to deliver an event that will cause as little disruption as possible.”

They said they were developing a ‘robust’ Covid-19 plan that encourages social distancing and on noise they have employed a leading consultancy for the live events industry to produce a noise management strategy. The consultants would be on site throughout the event to monitor noise levels in accordance with the noise management plan or in response to complaints to determine compliance with any licence conditions.