Agenda item

            The Director of Planning and Building Control outlined the details of the application for a 14-Day Occasional Outdoor Entertainments Licence to provide outdoor entertainment beyond 11.00pm and a request to provide indoor musical entertainment beyond 11.00pm.

            Power Pictures Limited was requesting a Licence for the former Norwich Union House site, to accommodate a temporary venue for TV production, based on the Council’s standard conditions to provide outdoor musical entertainment.  It also sought permission for planned entertainment to run beyond 11.00pm on four nights of the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in the outdoor area, and also within a marquee on the site.  The applicant sought extension of the hours to 11.30pm for Thursday 6th, Friday 7th, Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August, 2026.

            The applicant was an independent production company commissioned by Irish language television channel, TG4, with experience in broadcasting live coverage of Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann events.

            The site was within the pedestrianised area of the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann.

            The applicant had advised that there would be minimal amplification of music in the outdoor area for the benefit of a small crowd attending.  It would be intermittent as the bulk of the performances would take place within the marquee and the priority was the broadcast.  There would be amplified entertainment in the marquee.

            The Committee was reminded that the following 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 on the individual entertainment proposals.

·       Prior to entertainment taking place, the licensee was required to demonstrate evidence of early consultation with the Building Control service and have in place a robust system for dealing with complaints. This was to be agreed in advance.

·       Should an application to provide entertainment beyond 11.00 pm be granted and the Council then received a significant number of complaints regarding noise or the complaint was 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 indoor (marquee) licence but rather a request for council's permission to extend the hours under an existing licence condition, there was no requirement for public advertisement.

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 extended hours requested, it should be subject to a satisfactory response from the PSNI on the matter.

The Members were advised that officers had engaged with the event organisers and colleagues in the Fleadh events team and would participate in pre-event meetings.  An Event Management Plan for the entertainment offerings had been received and was being evaluated by the service and shared with other colleagues. 

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 Members were advised that the outdoor performances would have minimal amplification of music.  It was a requirement of the applicant that the level of noise generated in the outdoor space would not impact on the broadcast of performances filmed within the marquee located on site.  An acoustic report was not sought in that instance for the outdoor application.

Amplified music would be provided within the marquee located on site.  Amplification of music was solely to cater for patrons within the marquee and the recording of performances for TV.  The level of amplification was therefore not considered likely to give rise to noise disturbance to residents in the area and an acoustic report was not sought in that instance either.

The Committee agreed to:

·       approve the application for the grant of a 14-Day Occasional Outdoor Entertainments Licence, subject to any special conditions considered necessary by officers and to all technical requirements being met;

·       extend the hours of entertainment to 11.30pm on four consecutive days, between Thursday 6th and Sunday 9th August, 2026, inclusive;

·       in relation to the marquee, the Committee agreed to extend the hours of entertainment to 11.30pm on 4 consecutive days, between Thursday 6th and Sunday 9 August, 2026, inclusive, subject to all technical requirements being met.

Chairperson