Agenda and draft minutes

To elect a chair for this hearing. 

A motion, moved and seconded, to elect Councillor Alison Jenner as chair of the panel was carried on being put to the vote.

RESOLVED: that Councillor Alison Jenner be elected as chair of the panel. 

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, other registrable interests and non-registrable interests or any conflicts of interest in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest. 

To note the procedure for this meeting. 

The chair confirmed that all parties present understood the procedure. 

The chair outlined the application and then invited the licencing officer to present their report.

Licencing officer

The licencing officer informed the panel that the premises licence application was for the Oxford Rugby Club fields for an outdoor music event, which would be for two days of live music, dance performances, and the serving of alcohol from 2pm to 11pm for one weekend each calendar year.

The licencing officer then highlighted the representation made by Environmental Protection who proposed a series of conditions to be applied to the licence due to potential concerns relating to public nuisance. It was also confirmed that the applicant had accepted these amendments.

A further representation against the application from the owner of the local horse livery was received and the licencing officer presented an overview of the concerns raised; primarily that the noise and traffic would cause a disturbance to the horses and potentially cause access issues in the event that the emergency services were needed. The licencing officer also confirmed that, in response to those concerns, the applicant had agreed to several further conditions.

No members of the panel, or the applicant and objector, had questions for the licencing officer.

The applicant

Martin Barker, representing the applicant, then presented their case to the licencing panel. Some of the key information they highlighted was that the event was targeted for Friday and Saturday the 23-24 June 2023 and that there would be two distinct events with no one present on the site overnight except for security. The event on Friday was an adult only Ibiza orchestra with food units, bars, and ancillary traders and the applicant expected the average age of visitors to be 33. The event on Saturday, was planned to be a sausage and cider festival with music tribute bands, bars, and food traders with an expected average age of visitors being 36, but that it was planned as a family event to allow for under 18’s. For the Saturday event, the applicant confirmed that a specific welfare area, with safeguarding trained staff, would be provided.

The applicant also detailed their experience in running events and licencing matters and informed the panel that the current event configuration had been touring nationally since 2021, operated in 23 towns and cities across the United Kingdom, and had 15 events scheduled for the current year.

The applicant also confirmed that they accepted the proposed conditions from Environmental Protection and to the operating schedule, which focused on noise level limits such as a 65-decibel limit to noise at the nearest noise sensitive premises. In addition, he informed the panel that noise monitoring would be undertaken by an experienced noise management company and that their remote noise detecting sensors could be placed around the site to monitor noise volume in real time to ensure compliance. On the concerns of the owner of the horse livery, the applicant also brought the panels attention to the additional conditions they proposed, including that the rugby club car park would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.