The Alcohol & Gambling Licensing Sub-Committee of West Northamptonshire Council was scheduled to consider a new premises licence application for Northampton Rugby Football Club Ltd. The meeting's agenda also included standard procedural items.

New Premises Licence Application – Northampton Rugby Football Club Ltd

The sub-committee was scheduled to consider a new premises licence application for Northampton Rugby Football Club Ltd, located at Franklins Gardens, Weedon Road, Northampton, NN5 5BG. The application was for a time-limited licence for a single outdoor music event to take place between 27 June and 28 June 2026.

The proposed activities included regulated entertainment, specifically live and recorded music, and the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises. The timings requested were:

• Recorded music: 12:00 – 21:00
• Live music: 12:45 – 22:00
• Sale of alcohol: 12:00 – 23:30

The report pack indicated that the application had been received on 9 March 2026. Consultation with responsible authorities and members of the public had taken place. Responses from responsible authorities included no objections from Child Protection, Development Control/Planning, Fire and Rescue, Health Protection, Local Health Authority, Police, Public Health, Secretary of State, and Trading Standards. Environmental Protection had agreed on additional conditions with the applicant, which were included as an appendix. A representation from a member of the public was also received.

The primary issue scheduled for discussion was a concern raised in the relevant representation regarding potential noise and whether this would prevent the applicant from upholding the licensing objective of the prevention of public nuisance. The report pack noted that the sub-committee must promote the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

The sub-committee was presented with several options for determining the application, including granting the licence with conditions, excluding a licensable activity, refusing to specify a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), or rejecting the application entirely.

The report pack detailed that the Environmental Protection Team had agreed on specific conditions with the applicant, Northampton Rugby Football Club Ltd, relating to noise control. These conditions, outlined in the EP conditions.pdf document, included requirements for an event noise management plan (ENMP), the appointment of an acoustic consultant, and specific limits for on-site and off-site noise levels. The conditions also stipulated that stages and associated equipment should not be dismantled during anti-social hours and that a 24-hour residents' phone number should be provided for the duration of the event.

A representation from a resident, Mr. T. Johnson, was included in the report pack. Mr. Johnson, who resides in Montfort Close and works as an emergency services shift worker, formally objected to the application on the grounds of the prevention of public nuisance. He stated that while regular rugby fixtures did not cause disturbance, previous music events at the venue had resulted in significant noise intrusion, including low-frequency bass vibrations. He expressed concern that a 12-hour music event would prevent him from enjoying his home environment and impact his ability to rest and perform his duties safely. Mr. Johnson requested that the application be refused or that strict conditions be imposed to limit the duration, volume, and finishing time of the event.

The report pack also included correspondence from Gavin Smith, Senior Environmental Health Officer, who noted that while the event extended beyond the typical licence for large-scale concerts, live music was not planned to go past 20:00, with recorded music continuing later. He stated that the council did not have substantive grounds to object, as complaints were usually minimal. He also mentioned that tightened noise conditions had been requested, including the use of an independent noise consultant.

The meeting was scheduled to be held remotely via Zoom.