Protection of live music to be debated

TODAY is a big day for live music fans – as the Assembly will debate a petition on live music protection in Wales.

The petition stems from the Save Womanby Street campaign and collected more than 5,000 signatures.

It’s the first time a petition has automatically qualified for consideration of a debate since the Petitions Committee brought in a 5,000-signature threshold earlier this year.

The debate, which you can watch on Wales Online, comes after campaigners fighting to protect live music venues in Wales won a significant victory with the news that the Welsh Government is to revise Wales’ national planning policy in a move to support live music.

Following a high-profile public campaign by the Save Womanby Street group (SWS) based around Cardiff’s city-centre “music hub”, where venues have closed and others faced the threat of noise complaints, the Welsh Government plans to revise its planning policy.

Lesley Griffiths, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, wants an explicit reference to the Agent of Change principle to be included in Wales’ national planning policy.

Under this principle, if new developments or uses are to be introduced near a pre-existing business, such as a live music venue, it is the developer’s responsibility to ensure solutions to address and mitigate the noise are put forward.

Ms Griffiths also said that the policy will be updated to allow the designation of areas of cultural significance for music within Local Development Plans.

Ahead of the Welsh Assembly debate and on the day Coldplay were due to play the first of two shows at the Principality Stadium after starting their stellar career playing smaller venues such as Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach, on the city’s “music street”, Jenny Rathbone AM and Julie Morgan AM took Ms Griffiths to meet the Save Womanby Street Campaigners.

Jenny Rathbone, AM for Cardiff Central, said: “Womanby Street is part of what makes Cardiff such a great cultural city, and it must be protected. I am really pleased that Lesley Griffiths has acted so quickly. I’m delighted we can show the Cabinet Secretary what this change in policy means for Womanby Street. Planning is a devolved issue, so it’s a good example of how devolved government can get issues addressed in timely fashion.”

Julie Morgan, AM for Cardiff North, said: “I feel it is important that residents and visitors have the opportunity to hear live music in these great venues. They’re the lifeblood of our musical culture.”