This meeting of the Licensing Sub-Committee A was scheduled to consider one application for a new premises licence for an event, and to confirm the minutes of a previous meeting.

Grant of a Premises Licence for 4 Corners Music Festival 2025, Circus Field, Blackheath, London, SE3 7AP

The most significant item on the agenda was an application for a new premises licence for the 4 Corners Music Festival 2025. This is an application by Rebecca McLeish and Glenville Butcher for a licence to sell alcohol, and to provide live and recorded music and dance performances. The licence requested would permit these activities from 12:00 to 22:00 on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May 2025.

The event is proposed to have a capacity of 4,999, and would take place on Circus Field on Blackheath Common. The nearest residential properties to the proposed event site are located approximately 160 metres away.

Greenwich Council's Licensing Team, Community Protection Team, and Events and Culture Team all made representations about the application, and a number of residents also objected to the application. No objections were received from the Metropolitan Police.

The Council's Licensing Team raised concerns about a previous event held by the same applicant in June 2024, also on Circus Field. The Licensing Team's concerns related to the competence of the event manager, the lack of Section 30 consent for the event's temporary demountable structures, the lack of signage, some contractors being unresponsive to concerns raised by council officers, inadequacies in a BBQ area and inconsistent noise management.

The Community Protection Team was principally concerned about noise levels from the event. They noted that the event held in 2024 had received noise complaints from local residents, and they asked that the applicant provide a comprehensive noise management plan. The Events and Culture team asked for several conditions to be attached to the licence relating to the event's management, security, accreditation, parking, noise levels and counter-terrorism training.

The applicant agreed to all of the proposed conditions.

Ten residents also made representations objecting to the application. Many of the residents' objections related to noise from the event in 2024, which they described variously as unacceptable, disturbing and disruptive.

We have had several pop festivals on the heath, but this had by far the greatest impact on us in terms of noise levels.

One resident asked that the Council confer with acoustic specialists and set lower than national limits particularly in the lower frequencies.

A range of conditions were proposed to be attached to the licence, if it were to be granted. These include the appointment of an appropriately qualified event manager; the provision of an Event Safety Management Plan, Risk Assessments and Contractor Risk Assessments; the provision of an Emergency Response Plan; the provision of toilets and medical facilities; the use of a Challenge 25 policy for the sale of alcohol; the provision of security staff and CCTV; a search policy and drug control measures; a dispersal policy; welfare provision and a noise management plan.

Minute

The minutes of the Licensing Sub-Committee A meeting held on 3 October 2024 were also scheduled to be confirmed. The previous meeting considered an application for a new premises licence by Asda Stores Limited in respect of Asda Express at 15-17 Blackheath Village. This application attracted 73 representations in opposition and 5 representations in support. The minutes record that the Licensing Sub-Committee granted the application. The minutes also note that:

Any party aggrieved by this decision may appeal to the magistrates’ court within 21 days.