Bristol Foodies Festival granted licence despite objections from police

Bristol Foodies Festival will go ahead next month after councillors granted permission despite police and environmental health objections.

South Gloucestershire Council’s licensing sub-committee heard the organisers have run the event 128 times across the country since 2005 without a single serious issue and that parking for 600 cars had been found in a nearby field, amid concerns about streets and driveways being blocked.

The three-day food and drink extravaganza from Friday to Sunday, May 12-14, which includes demonstrations by celebrity chefs and a funfair, has been held for several years on Clifton Downs.

It was under threat after Bristol City Council refused to allow it back, citing poor management of the event.

And then police and South Gloucestershire health and safety officials said its new location at Little Stoke Park in the middle of a Stoke Gifford housing estate was inappropriate because residents would suffer noise, nuisance and antisocial behaviour.

But on Thursday, April 20, the sub-committee granted a premises licence for live music – including chart-topping throwback headline acts Blue and Scouting For Girls – and alcohol sales from 11am to 10pm after hearing the performances would end at 8pm and attendees, expected to be 3,000 a day, would leave the site gradually.

Barring serious issues, it means the festival will be held there annually for the next three years before a fresh application is needed.

Avon and Somerset Police licensing officer Wes Hussey told the hearing: “Our objection is that the venue is wholly unsuitable and inappropriate for this size of event and its closeness to houses.

“Holding an event of this size at this location is likely to have an adverse, negative impact on residents’ mental health and wellbeing.”

Mr Hussey said the proposed car park at nearby Gallivan memorial fields had only one way in and out through a farm gate.

He said part of Little Stoke Park would remain open for the general public but this could attract some people to bring their own alcohol and sit outside the fence listening to the music.

Stoke Gifford neighbourhood police Sgt Craig Doyle said: “My main concern is the knock-on effect the extra footfall would have on residents.

“It’s a small, busy road and all the adjoining streets have residential traffic.

“The neighbourhood policing cover would be very minimal and should anything significant happen, it would have to pull on local response capabilities or other specialist units.”

South Gloucestershire Council food health and safety team leader Richard Ryder said: “We had concerns because Bristol City Council let us know the reasons they didn’t allow the festival to continue at the Downs, which raised alarm bells with us.”

He said these included stewards failing to search people on entry despite promises from organisers.

Mr Ryder said the event management plan failed to include risk assessments of the axe-throwing or the distance between hot food outlets for fire safety.

He said there was also scant detail about stewarding or security and the food traders, although the festival had since confirmed they would require a minimum four-star hygiene rating.

Mr Ryder said: “The information we received was very late.

“We have since received more information but our confidence in the management of the event is quite low.”

Environmental protection officer Sophie Hatfield said: “The noise management plan is not as detailed and robust as we would expect given the size of the event.

“Although the music is scheduled to finish at 8pm, people will still be on site until 10pm, so for three days this has the potential to have a significant impact on residents.”

Solicitor Piers Warne, representing Foodies Festival, said many residents had expressed support for the event and had bought tickets.

He said that unlike huge events like Glastonbury Festival which pays for policing, Foodies had not done so because there had never been any need.

Mr Warne said: “It’s not going to affect the day-to-day management of the police service and there is no additional resource being called on.”

He said many details, such as numbers of stewards, typically did not get finalised until very near the event in consultation with the council’s safety advisory group, which Mr Ryder chairs and includes police, fire and ambulance representatives.

“We don’t accept any allegations that this is ever a poorly managed event,” Mr Warne said.

“Bristol City Council provided partial information to officers and frankly I’m severely disappointed in how they comported themselves in providing information about this – it has given an unfair impression of what happened.”

He said it omitted the positive feedback from city council officers and that other authorities around the country had congratulated Foodies on how it was run.

Mr Warne said the original application was for a permanent licence but that this would be reduced to three years.

He said the stage and speakers would point away from the houses towards the railway track.

Mr Warne said alcohol sales would stop at 8.40pm on Friday and Saturday and 7.40pm on Sunday, with live music ending at 8pm on each day while the first two evenings would have recorded music until 9pm which would help disperse the crowds by 9.30pm.

He said that since the festival began in Edinburgh 18 years ago there had been no food poisoning outbreaks – a concern raised as a risk by environmental health because of a lack of information on the application – and no serious crime or disorder.

While the capacity was for 5,000, there were more likely to be 3,000 people, the solicitor said.

Mr Warne said the busiest times were 1pm to 3pm for the food and drink rather than the music later on.

He said that while the entrance gateway to the parking was “not ideal”, it would be managed effectively and that other options were explored, including the Rolls Royce car park in Filton but that the company had declined to give permission because of an arson attack on dozens of vehicles a year ago.

Mr Warne said noise levels would be engineered and monitored by a professional acoustics company throughout the festival and that most attendees would travel on public transport.

He said anyone sitting outside the fence for free would hear only muffled, distorted music.

Foodies production manager Terry Barratt said the axe-throwing was very safe and was contained inside a cage and netting with blunt axes and had been part of the festival for two years without incident.