Agenda item

            The Director of Planning and Building Control provided the Committee with the details of the application from Mr H. Downey to permit the planned musical entertainment at Bank Square to run beyond 11.00pm on up to eight nights during the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, from 2nd to 9th August, 2026.

She explained that Bank Square had a 7-Day Annual Outdoor Entertainments Licence and a 7-Day Annual Indoor Entertainments Licence for a Marquee, and both had been used to hold events in the past. The Licence was held by the Department of Communities and was transferred to Mr. Downey for the duration of the Fleadh.

The Members were reminded that the following Special Conditions were attached to both the Marquee and Outdoor Entertainments Licences:

·       Maximum numbers would be agreed at the discretion of the Building Control Service and would vary depending upon individual concert set up proposals.

·       Prior to any event taking place the promoters were required to demonstrate evidence of early consultation and have in place a robust system of dealing with any complaints, to be agreed in advance with the Council.

·       Any requests to provide entertainment later than 11.00 pm must be considered by the Licensing Committee; and

·       Should an application to provide entertainment beyond 11.00 pm be granted and the Council then receive a significant number of complaints regarding noise or the complaint is of such significant impact, authority was granted to the Director of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the City Solicitor, to reduce the finishing time for any subsequent nights of the event, in which case the promoter would be required to make contingency arrangements.

As it was not an application to vary the terms of the Outdoor licence, rather, a request for the Council’s permission to extend the hours under an existing Licence Condition, there was no requirement for public advertisement in this case.

The Committee was advised that the event organiser was requesting to provide outdoor musical entertainment to 1.00 am on all eight nights, 2nd to 9th August, 2026.

A rationale for extended hours beyond 11.00 pm had been provided by the event organiser.

The Director advised the Committee that the police had been consulted in relation to the application, however, a response had not yet been received. Should Members be minded to approve the Grant of the Outdoor Entertainments licence, it should be subject to a satisfactory response from the PSNI on the matter.

Officers had engaged with the event organisers and colleagues in the Fleadh events team in relation to the events and would participate in pre-event meetings. An Event Management Plan for the Fleadh had been received and was being evaluated by officers.

The Director highlighted that a significant consideration for the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) would be the proposal to provide outdoor entertainment after 11.00pm. Members were reminded that the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 gave councils additional powers in relation to entertainment noise after 11.00 pm. The noise mitigation strategy would be discussed at the pre-event meetings.

The event organisers would be required to engage with an acoustic consultant and to document a noise mitigation strategy for each night of entertainment.

The organisers had produced a neighbour pre-notification letter containing a nominated event organiser contact that residents and businesses could refer concerns or make complaints to. The extent of the letter’s distribution, which would take place prior to the event, would be agreed with the event organiser by the Service in consultation with EPU officers.

              The Committee agreed that entertainment be permitted to take place beyond the standard hours of licence, to 1.00 am, on all eight nights of the Fleadh, 2nd-9th August, 2026, subject to all technical requirements being met.